Obama’s DOJ: Chicago Police Use Unconstitutional, ‘Excessive’ Force

Chicago Police AP

On January 13 President Obama’s Department of Justice announced that the Chicago Police Department is “unconstitutionally engaged” in the use of “excessive” force.

The announcement was issued by Attorney General Loretta Lynch and followed a year-long investigation into the CPD.

According to CNN, the DOJ’s 161-page report claims evidence that CPD officers:

• Shot at fleeing suspects who presented no immediate threat
• Shot at vehicles without justification
• Used less-lethal force, including Tasers, against people who posed no threat
• Used force to retaliate against and punish people
• Used excessive force against juveniles

Lynch said:

The resulting deficit in trust and accountability is not just bad for residents — it’s also bad for dedicated police officers trying to do their jobs safely and effectively. With this announcement, we are laying the groundwork for the difficult but necessary work of building a stronger, safer and more united Chicago for all who call it home.

The CPD responded to the findings by “[agreeing] to negotiate a reform plan that would be overseen by a federal judge.”

It is interesting to note that on January 7, Chicago Police Board Chair Lori Lightfoot surveyed the epidemic of violence in gun-controlled Chicago and said the CPD could not turn the tide on their own. Lighfoot did not suggest CPD officers had been excessive in force. Rather, she claimed they were lacking support in the way of prosecutions of the criminals that were being arrested.

According to NPR, Lightfoot said:

We need to have more federal gun prosecutions in Chicago. Our federal partners from the U.S. attorney’s office, the ATF, the FBI need to be much more invested in this overall strategy. Chicago Police Department cannot tackle this issue by itself.

AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of Bullets with AWR Hawkins, a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. 

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