Chicago cops seen lounging, napping, making popcorn after 'breaking into' Congressman's office amid riots
Lori Lightfoot, the Mayor of Chicago, was furious after she saw a group of police officers in CCTV footage relaxing in a Congressman's campaign office while looters ravaged the South Side.
Illinois Representative Bobby Rush told a joint press conference with the mayor on Thursday, June 11 that he received a call that his office had been broken into almost two weeks ago, but when he checked the security footage, he saw eight officers "lounging" in the office.
Watch the video here.
“They had their feet up on the desk, one was asleep on my couch in my campaign office,” Rush said. “One had his head down on his desk. One was on his cell phone. They even had the unmitigated gall to go and make coffee for themselves and to pop the popcorn, my popcorn, in my microwave.”
The officers were accused by the Congressman of relaxing while looters were "within their reach" at the shopping center where the office is located.
Lightfoot, who described the incident as a "personal embarrassment", said the officers were having a "little hangout" as businesses on the South Side of the city continued to be looted and burned. She declared that the officers in the video had shown disrespect to their badges and would soon be identified.
"And I can tell you one thing for certain, not one of these officers will be allowed to hide behind the badge and go on and act like nothing ever happened," Lightfoot said. “Not anymore.Not in my city, not in your city.”
The mayor said that at least 13 officers, including supervisors, had entered the office during the looting at the shopping mall where it was located.
“Their conduct will confirm the perception that too many people on the South and the West Side were left to fend for themselves,” Lightfoot said. “That police don’t care if black and brown communities are looted and burned."
During the press conference, Chicago Police Supt. David Brown condemned the behavior of the officers and offered a personal apology to Rush.
"I'm not playing with you that I mean what I say when I say we'll hold you accountable," Brown said. "Move, get out of the way, but we are going to uphold the nobility of this profession. This conduct is not representative."
Last month, Mayor Lightfoot landed herself in hot water after a May 31 conference call she had with local officials was leaked. She was heard telling Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez that he was "full of sh**" for worrying about relying on local churchgoers to keep the peace between rioters and police in the wake of the death of George Floyd.
Lopez said people would be at risk if they came in between rioters and law enforcement, warning that "gang bangers with AK-47s" could attack the suburbs.
"You got them all pumped today... They’re not going to go to bed at 8 o’clock. They’re going to turn their focus on the neighborhoods," he said. "I’ve got gang-bangers with AK-47s walking around right now, just waiting to settle some scores. What are we going to do, and what do we tell residents, other than good faith people stand up? It’s not going to be enough," he continued. "Half of our neighborhoods are already obliterated ... we have to come up with a better plan because my fear is once they are done looting and rioting and whatever is going to happen tonight, God help us, what happens when they start going after residents?"
Lightfoot appeared to ignore Lopez's concerns by asking for the next question, prompting the latter to say, “It’s not something you ignore. This is a question that I have."
“I think you’re 100% full of sh**, is what I think,” Lightfoot snapped in response.
The alderman immediately shot back at the mayor. “No offense — F*** you, then. Who are you to tell me I’m full of shit? Maybe you should come out and see what’s going on," he said.
“If you think we’re not ready, and we stood by and let the neighborhoods go up, there’s nothing intelligent that I could say to you,” Lightfoot told Lopez. “That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. I understand you want to preen.”
“Mayor, you need to check your fucking attitude. That’s what you need to do,” Lopez exclaimed before the confrontation ended.