John Catanzara, Fraternal Order of Police president | File photo
John Catanzara, Fraternal Order of Police president | File photo
Fraternal Order of Police president John Catanzara is scolding Chicago Black Lives Matter members for posting what he finds to be an ‘inflammatory” email that was wrongly attributed to his group.
“Thug lives matter,” reads the post in question. “We’re coming for you homeboys.”
In reposting that post to its website, BLM added, “Yes, John Catanzara, the FOP president, called us Thugs Lives Matter.”
In denying any involvement, Catanzara took to Facebook with the goal of clearing his name.
"Please be advised that neither I nor anyone associated with the Fraternal Order of Police, Chicago Lodge 7, sent an email on August 11, 2021, at 2:00 a.m. (or at any time), which appears on your formal Twitter account,” he posted. “Clearly, it is false, misleading and extremely troubling that your organization would re-post such an inflammatory email without verifying its authenticity."
Over time, WBEZ reporter Chip Mitchell became involved, posting on Twitter that he had reached out to the FOP about BLM’s accusations and was steered to a “longtime union activist.”
“Lodge 7 transferred my call about this alleged email to longtime union activist Greg Bella, who denied Catanzara sent it,” he posted. “He said Catanzara was with slain officer Ella French's family at the time. ‘With them at 2 a.m.,’ I asked.”
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