Chicago City Wire

City of Chicago Police Board met August 10. 

Here is the minutes as provided by the board:

Stenographic Report of Proceedings

had in the above-entitled matter, held at Chicago

Public Safety Headquarters, 3510 South Michigan

Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, at 7:30 o'clock p.m.

Police Board Members Present:

Ms. Lori E. Lightfoot, President

Mr. Ghian Foreman, Vice President

Ms. Rhoda Sweeney, (Via Audio Conference)

Ms. Rita Fry

Rev. Michael Eaddy

Mr. Steve Flores

Mr. John P. O'malley Jr.

Also Present:

Superintendent Of Police Eddie T. Johnson

Ms. Tina Skahill,

Deputy Director, CPD Legal Affairs

Ms. Sharon Fairley

Chief Administrator, IPRA

Mr. Max Caproni

Executive Director, Police Board.

Members of the Public,,

President Lightfoot:· We are going to get

started.· My name is Lori Lightfoot, I'm the

President of the Chicago Police Board.· I'm calling

the meeting to order.

Board Member Sweeney is unable to attend

this meeting in person and wishes to attend via

audio conference.

Is there a motion to permit her to do so?

Member Fry:· So moved.

Member Eaddy:· Second.

President Lightfoot:· All in favor?

(Ayes in unison.)

President Lightfoot:· Any opposed?· The motion

passes.

The first item of business is approval of

the minutes of the Board's regular public meeting

held on July 20, 2017.

Is there a motion to approve the minutes?

Member Fry:· So moved.

Vice President Foreman:· Second.

President Lightfoot:· All those in favor?

(Ayes in unison.)

President Lightfoot:· Any opposed?· The motion

passes.

Please note our next regular public

meeting will be on Monday, September 18, at

7:30 p.m., here at Public Safety Headquarters.

That is Monday, September 18 at 7:30 p.m.· That is

different than our normal schedule.

At this time I ask for a motion to close

a series of executive sessions for the purpose of

considering personnel matters and litigation, as

authorized by Sections 2(c)(1),(3),(4), and (11) of

the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

Is there such a motion?

Member Fry:· So moved.

Member Eaddy:· Second.

President Lightfoot:· All those in favor?

(Ayes in unison.)

President Lightfoot:· Any opposed?· The motion

passes.

A report of disciplinary actions taken

by the Board during the previous month has been

made available at this evening's meeting.· This

report and the Board's written findings and

decisions are posted on the Board's website.

The Police Board, as authorized by the

Open Meetings Act, has considered in a closed

meeting one disciplinary case.· The Board will now

take final action on this case.

Regarding case No. 16 PD 2919, is there a

motion to find that Police Officer Michael Mette

not guilty of use of excessive force and making a

false statement?

Member O'Malley:· So moved.

Member Fry:· Second.

President Lightfoot:· All in favor?

(Ayes in unison.)

President Lightfoot:· Any opposed?

Member Flores:· Aye.

President Lightfoot:· So all in favor, Eaddy,

Fry, O'Malley, and Sweeney.· And those opposed are

Lightfoot and Flores.

Is there a motion to adopt the written

findings and decision and dissent that has been

reviewed by all Board members who participated in

the case?

Member Fry:· So moved.

Member Eaddy:· Second.

President Lightfoot:· All in favor?

(Ayes in unison.)

President Lightfoot:· Any opposed?

All right.· The motion passes.

The Board's decision in the case on which

we took final action at this evening's meeting will

be entered as of today's date, and will be issued

to the parties.· A copy of the written decision

will be posted on the Board's website as required

by the Municipal Code of Chicago.

The next item of business, one of the

Board's hearing officers, Jacqueline Walker, has

decided to retire after nearly 30 years of service.

First, let's thank Hearing Officer Walker for her

service.

In June the Board began a search for a

new hearing officer.· We received 29 applications

and conducted two rounds of interviews of the top

candidates.

Is there a motion to designate Allison

Wood as a hearing officer of the Police Board

pursuant to Section 2-84-030 of the Municipal Code

of Chicago?

Member Fry:· So moved.

Vice President Foreman:· Second.

President Lightfoot:· All in favor?

(Ayes in unison.)

President Lightfoot:· Any opposed?· The motion

passes.

The general orders and other directives

issued by the Superintendent of Police during the

previous month are listed in the books made

available at this evening's meeting, and are posted

on the Department's website.

The next item is the Superintendent's

report to the Board.

Superintendent.

Superintendent Johnson:· Just real briefly, I

would just encourage members of the public,

citizens of Chicago, to try to attend one of the

townhall meetings that's coming up regarding the

draft policy for the new community policing policy

for CPD.

You all are the ones that is going to be

most affected by that policy, and as we deal with

the use of force policy, we will listen to the

input, take your recommendations, and try to

incorporate them into the policy.· So there are

meetings going on right now, but there are two more

townhall meetings, and I encourage you all to

attend if you can.· Thank you.

President Lightfoot:· Thank you,

Superintendent.

I will now call upon those members of the

public who signed up in advance to speak.· When

your name is called, please step up to the

microphone.· And we remind you to limit your

comments to two minutes so other people who signed

up will have an opportunity to speak.

Gwendolyn Moore.· Is she here?· All

right.

Next speaker, Samyra McDonald.· Samyra

McDonald.

Next speaker, Stacey Liberty.· Stacey

Liberty.

All right.· Next speaker, Dorothy Holmes.

Dorothy Holmes.· Is Ms. Holmes here?· Okay.

Next speaker, Panzy Edwards.

Ms. Holmes?· I just called your name.

Are you ready to speak, or do you need a moment?

Ms. Holmes:· A moment.

President Lightfoot:· Okay.

Panzy Edwards.

Member of the Public:· She's coming in also.

President Lightfoot:· I'm sorry?

Member of the Public:· She's coming in.

President Lightfoot:· William Calloway.

Member of the Public:· He's on his way in.

President Lightfoot:· Is Mr. Calloway in here?

Crista Noel.· Is Ms. Noel here?

Okay.· Ms. Holmes, are you ready?

Can you ask her to please come in,

because we are going to move the meeting along.

Member of the Public:· Did you call Gwendolyn

Moore?

Member Fry:· Yes.

President Lightfoot:· Ms. Moore, are you here?

Ms. Moore:· Yes.

President Lightfoot:· Please step up to the

microphone.· Good evening, Ms. Moore.

Ms. Moore:· Good evening.· My name is Gwendolyn

Moore.· I am the mother of Jamaal Moore that was

killed by the Chicago Police 7/15/2012.· I've been

coming to these meetings and speaking several

times, and I believe I spoke with Sharon, and then

one time her assistant when she wasn't here, and

I've been waiting to get some information since

Jamaal's death.

I really believe if action had been taken

and investigations had been promptly executed or

investigated by the authorities, I believe that we

would have kind of got a handle on the police

shootings.· It's very hard waking up every day

knowing that your son is not here, and then you see

the Chicago police who is serving and protecting

us -- not saying they're all bad, because they are

aren't -- but I guess some bad apples are just

there.

It's going on the fifth year that I've

been trying to get some justice for Jamaal. I

still have no answers.· I have letters written from

people saying we're investigating, with no

specifics on what they are investigating.· And it's

very hard.

And since then, and in January 2016

Jamaal lost his father.· I lost my husband.· So

that's tragic for me to be without my loved ones,

waking up every day without them there.

I stand here today and I plead to folks,

Ms. Jones, the entire Board, Sharon, it's coming up

on that fifth mark, and I don't want it to be a

point where, oh, we tried to look into Jamaal's

case.· We tried to find some answers.· I don't know

what's happened with the police officer, and that's

not my case.· I'm looking for justice.· I'm looking

for some accountability.

When we as citizens in the community

don't uphold the law, we are held accountable.· And

I'm just asking that this Board does the same thing

with the police officer that killed Jamaal Ramone

Moore December 15, 2012.

President Lightfoot:· Thank you, ma'am.

Ms. Holmes, are you here?

One moment.

Please proceed.

Ms. Holmes:· Good evening.· I'm the mother of

Ronald Johnson who was murdered October 12, 2014.

And every day now it's been new evidence coming out

regarding to my son's case, and one of them was

that he was unarmed at the time of his death when

he was gunned down by George Hernandez.· And I'm

still fighting.

It's going to be three years.· I'm

letting you all know I'm not going nowhere, and

more and more is going to come out.· And I'm also

asking for a special prosecutor in his case also.

And when that's done, Sharon Fairley, you just as

guilty as those police officers are, because that

case shouldn't have been closed as quickly as it's

been closed.· When they came to my house and killed

me dog and you said you was going to get back in

touch with me about that incident, I haven't heard

about that either, and it's getting ready to be two

years for that also.· And enough is enough.

I'm not going nowhere.· My son ain't here

to speak for his self, but he got a fighting mama,

and I'm not giving up.· Ain't enough money in this

world going to bring me happiness, going to bring

him back.· For the record, I'm going to keep on

fighting.

And, Eddie Johnson, since the last Police

Board I attended, you supposed to have contacted

me, and I haven't heard from you either.· So you

ain't no (inaudible) Rahm Emanuel either.

And you talk about tougher gun laws?

Tell these police to stop killing our kids.· Then

maybe you can get trust back in our communities.

Because right now you ain't got no trust in none of

these communities.· I got more trust in the

community than you got, and you supposed to be the

top person of the Police Board to get trust back in

these communities.

But no one trusting you all because of

the stuff that the people that's working for you

still doing.· How can you hire more police officers

and you still got crooked officers that still on

the force?· That's not going to mix.· That's going

to cost a whole lot of chaos.· And Trump starting a

war, so that's all you going to start, a war with

the citizens.

And that's all I have to say.· And I

ain't going nowhere.

President Lightfoot:· Thank you.

Ms. Panzy Edwards.· Ms. Panzy Edwards

here?

Crista Noel.

Member of the Public:· She's here.

President Lightfoot:· Panzy Edwards?· Okay.

Come on to the microphone, ma'am.

Ms. Edwards:· Hello.· My name is Panzy Edwards.

President Lightfoot:· Good evening.· Can I ask

you to tilt it up there.· Thank you.

Ms. Edwards:· I'm coming to you about my son

Dakota Bright.· He was killed November 8, 2012.

November 8 will be five years since he was killed,

which we got word it was unjustified.· I'm the --

I'm excited about that, but I still got a long road

ahead of me.

And I just want you all to know that you

all here for the police, and I'm here for my child.

And all police aren't right.· I know they got to be

defended, but what about our kids that's being

taken?· They deserve some defense, too.

So is you all looking at my son's case?

I want you all to look at it and look at it without

having the police back, without having his back.

But put blinders on you and look at it as a human.

And look at it like right is right and wrong is

wrong.

My son was 15 years old, shot one time in

the back of his head.· He didn't deserve to die,

and he deserve justice.· We all -- we all deserve

justice, but it's tearing my up.· I've been sick

since this happened because the way this world is,

people don't get justice.· So I'm so scared that my

son is not going to get the justice he deserve.

And I'm now just asking everyone who look

at it, or everybody who come in contact with it, to

just look at it.· And look at the facts.· Don't

look at it because it was a police officer and he's

always right in his job.· Because no human is

always right.

So I just want everybody to look at it

the right way, not through the police eyes.· Thank

you.

President Lightfoot:· Thank you.

Will Calloway.· Is Mr. Calloway here?

Crista Noel?

Well, Ms. Noel, do you want to speak or

not?

Member of the Public:· He's coming.· All right.

Ms. Noel:· Is that true, that Dakota was found

was unjustified, Sharon?

Ms. Fairley:· Our summary report went out

tonight, yes.

Ms. Noel:· Oh, great.· Well, that is positive

news.· It's five years, that's not good, but we'll

take it.· We'll take it.

And I do have another question for you

about Betty.· Do you know when -- the report did

not go up on Betty?

Ms. Fairley:· Not yet.

Ms. Noel:· I was going to check in on that.

Rita, this is it?

Member Fry:· It is.· It's been a slice.

Ms. Noel:· It sure is.· How long has it been?

Member Fry:· Seven years.

Ms. Noel:· Seven years, so you started when I

started.

Member Fry:· Yes.

Ms. Noel:· All right.· Well, we have been in

this together.· I'm sorry to see you go, but you

look beautiful tonight.

Member Fry:· Well, thank you.

Ms. Noel:· I appreciate all the work that you

have done.· I know you have been responsible for

getting rid of bad cops.· I know that your legacy

is one that we are always going to remember, and I

just want to make sure that you know that I

appreciate you.

And I do appreciate you all, when you all

do the right thing, you know.· And I do understand

that you all don't have the opportunity to do the

right thing as often as you'd like to do it because

it's not coming from over there, and it's not

coming from over there.

Hey, Eddie, how you doing?· Me and you,

 right?

Superintendent Johnson:· Yeah.

Ms. Noel:· So with that being said, I'm going

to let the families here that are just far more

important than what I have to say.· I'm an

advocate, but listening to them should soften your

hearts, and I hope it softens the rest of the

hearts of the police officers in here.

I'm not going to condemn the entire

police force.· I have had many instances where

police officers have come and, to me, have saved my

life, right.· There have been situations where I

have hollered for help and some angel in a blue

uniform has come over and helped me.

We locked a baby in the car one time and

I was, oh, my God, and here he comes in four

wheels.· It's like, oh, my God.· I was walking

down, my car broke down on the side of the New

Jersey turnpike.· I put my hands up in the air, and

here comes one in a car, you know.

So it happens.· Good things happen.· I'd

like to celebrate that side of it as well, because

I know that there are officers out there who are

trying to do their best.· Who honor the badge and

does not get honor from the badge.· But the the

idea is, it's important for you to recognize the

ones who get honor from the badge, because those

are the ones that we're complaining about, you

know.

When you put that badge on and your chest

puffs up, I've got a problem.· When your chest is

·already puffed up and you feel good about yourself

and you know what human rights is about and you

have a sensitive but strong heart, and you have the

presence that's necessary to get the respect

because you treat people with respect, I can

respect that officer.· And I've met many that I

have respected.

So but I've also met a few that are the

epitome of a-s-s-h-o-l-e, okay.· So those are the

ones that we want gone.· The ones that are shooting

people and killing people, we want them gone.

Thank you, Sharon, for Dakota.· That's

been a long time in coming.

President Lightfoot:· Ms. Noel, if you could

wrap up.

Ms. Noel:· Yes.· I'm just saying in passing.

This woman has been hurting.· She has not been able

to come up here and speak.· She came up here to

speak today.· And I know there is a lot more work

to do, but I thank you for that.

Ms. Fairley:· Thank you.

President Lightfoot:· Our last speaker,

Mr. Calloway.

Mr. Calloway:· I pass.

President Lightfoot:· At this time all the

members who have signed up to speak in advance have

been recognized.

Before I close, Ms. Noel said it more

eloquently than I would, I want to thank Rita Fry

for her service.· She has served on the Police

Board for the last seven years.· Rita bringing with

her a wealth of experience that will be hard to

replicate and certainly will be missed.

She is a fierce defender of the rights of

the people, as is her training and her nature,

given her many years as an assistant public

defender and, of course, the person who was the

head of the office for many years.

She has brought a perspective to our

discussion and our debate that is really important.

And doing this work is not easy, and some would say

probably a thankless task many times.

But I want to say on behalf of myself

personally, on behalf of the Board, and on behalf

of the City, thank you so much for your service.

You will be missed.

Member Fry:· You're welcome.· Thank you.

(Applause.)

President Lightfoot:· Is there a motion to

adjourn?

Vice President Foreman:· So moved.

Member Eaddy:· Second.

President Lightfoot:· All in favor?

(Ayes in unison.)

President Lightfoot:· Thank you very much.

Again, our next meeting is Monday,

September 18, here at Police Headquarters.· Thank

you.

(Meeting concluded at 7:52

o'clock p.m.)

https://www.cityofchicago.org/content/dam/city/depts/cpb/PubMtgMinutes/PubMtgTranscript08102017.pdf