Chicago City Wire

A lawyer for a group of Chicago police officers has filed a petition requesting a special prosecutor in the case of an “anti-police activist” and campaign worker for Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, charged with battery of two of the officers.

Foxx “has an actual conflict of interest” in the case against Jedidiah Brown, writes Attorney James McKay Jr. in the April 18 petition. Brown stood center stage with Foxx at an April 6 rally, held at Operation PUSH, defending her against the backlash that ensued after her office dropped charges against actor Jussie Smollett for allegedly staging a hate crime. In addition, Brown told police after his July arrest for battery and resisting arrest that he was a “paid political worker for Kim Foxx."

“…State’s Attorney Foxx is seen standing in unity with this criminal defendant,” McKay writes, “along with other anti-police activists Ja’Mal Green, Bobby Rush and Flint Taylor. Worse she is seen talking to Mr. Brown and later poses for a photograph with Mr. Brown for him to post on his Facebook page.”

Kim Foxx and Jedidiah Brown

Over the photo Brown wrote: “Let the record reflect. I stand with Kim Foxx. Blue Klux Klan we aren’t going without a fight you will never forget.”

McKay writes in the petition that it was “bad enough for the Petitioners [the police officers] to suffer punches and kicks from Jedidiah Brown while they tried to serve and protect the citizens of Chicago … It’s worse now after the Petitioners saw Mr. Brown standing and smiling with the elected State’s Attorney … and being left to wonder if their rights as victims and witnesses will be protected by the current prosecutor.”

The petition states that on July 19, Officers David Alvarez Jr., Jeremy Arrington, Emilio De Leon, Victor Guebara, Jeffery Shafer and Dimar Vasquez were monitoring a protest on South Jeffery Boulevard. All were wearing body cameras. Brown and another protestor defied multiple police warnings not to obstruct traffic. The police arrested one protestor “without a struggle” when he and Brown ignored the warnings. But Brown charged at the officers. A camera captured him “punching one of the petitioners.”

Brown was initially held on felony charges of aggravated battery. But the charges were later reduced.

“Despite video evidence supporting felony charges, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Felony Review Unit rejected felony charges,” the petition says.

“In an unusual timing of events,” the petition continues, “a close associate of Jedidiah Brown, and another anti-police activist, Lamon Reccord, announced on his Facebook Live page that felony charges against Mr. Brown had been rejected by Ms. Foxx’ office … before Petitioners knew that felony charges had been rejected.”

Brown was charged with misdemeanor battery to a police officer, resisting arrest and obstruction of traffic by a non-motorist.

While still in custody, Brown “told officers Vasquez and Arrington that he was a paid political worker for Kim Foxx, having worked on her 2015 campaign. Brown added that Ja’Mal Green, another close associate of the defendant, was paid a large sum of money from Ms. Foxx’ campaign fund,” the petition says.

The hearing is scheduled for April 23 before Judge LeRoy Martin Jr. at the Circuit Court of Cook County, Criminal Division.