At a recent protest against discrimination, a Chicago police officer yelled a homophobic slur at a protester after having a traffic cone thrown at him. He is now being investigated after the incident, according to NBC Chicago.
The video of the incident shows the traffic cone being thrown at the police officer, who then turned to the protesters and said, “Wait bitch, wait until I turn my back you f***ing f****t”, which understandably upset the crowd, just as I was upset at hearing the unwarranted slur.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability has suggested that the officer in the video have his police powers suspended or modified during the investigation into this incident. The agency said that it “makes this recommendation while it further works to identify the officer and assess the events and circumstances surrounding this active investigation.” Additionally, the Chicago Police Department issued a statement saying that homophobic slurs are “inexcusable, and has no place in the Department.”
Going further, the Chicago PD said that they “do not tolerate this kind of behavior, which is why we have opened an investigation into this incident and will take appropriate disciplinary action immediately as we work to identify the officer involved.” We’re thinking maybe that the Chicago PD should have trained this officer in basic human decency? Police reform is the major topic of these protests, so it’s fitting that the department suspending or modifying the officer’s abilities.
Lori Lightfoot, the mayor of Chicago has been firm on her stance against police misconduct, saying it will not be tolerated, and advises anyone who witnesses it to call 311 to report the abuse. We hope the 311 calls will be taken seriously and followed up on. We have seen an increase in holding police accountable for their actions, which may show these protests are actually working, but the microscope is definitely on the men and women in blue… and for good reason.
What do you think? What should the punishment be for this officer? It was a slur and no one was hurt, but …
Source: NBC Chicago