FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 30, 2020
COPA PROVIDES UPDATE ON PROTEST RELATED COMPLAINTS & INCIDENTS
Today the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) updated its new data portal (chicagocopa.org/data-cases/protest-related-information/) which provides updates and information on protest related complaints by date, category and incident location.
COPA will continue to deliver on its core principal of transparency which is essential to public trust. Members of the public can now visit our website (ChicagoCopa.org) to view protest related data. COPA received a total of 591 complaints from Friday, May 29, 2020 through June 11, 2020. Since June 17th, COPA received an additional 33 protest identified complaints for a total of 404 complaints of police misconduct related to the protest that followed the death of Mr. George Floyd.
These complaints include allegations of excessive force, verbal abuse, improper search and seizure, as well as unlawful denial or right to counsel and a host of operational violations that have been referred to the Department’s Bureau of Internal Affairs.
COPA also has identified an additional officer involved in the incident at Brickyard Mall in the Belmont Cragin community and recommended a third officer be relieved of police powers while COPA investigates. The Superintendent has concurred with COPA’s recommendation. COPA identified the first two officers involved in this incident in early June.
COPA also recommended that two additional officers be relieved of their powers during the pendency of another protest related investigation. That request remains under review by the Superintendent.
If anyone has any information or video pertaining to this incident or believe they have been a victim of or witness to police misconduct, please call our office at 312-746-3609 or visit www.chicagocopa.org for more information.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Ephraim Eaddy
Public Information Officer
312-746-3609
ephraim.eaddy@chicagocopa.org