Early Wednesday morning, Chicago police officers responded to a car crash on the city’s west side, where they found a violent man apparently under the influence of drugs.
The man viciously attacked one of the officers – a 17-year veteran of the department – smashing her head into the pavement repeatedly until she was left unconscious.
During their encounter with the suspect, all three officers were severely beaten, and all required hospitalization.
But one of the female officers has come forward to say she knew she should have used her weapon to defend herself and her fellow officers, but because the man was black, she chose not to for fear of retribution.
Superintendent Eddie Johnson stated:
She thought she was going to die. She knew that she should shoot this guy, but she chose not to, because she didn’t want her family or the department to have to go through the scrutiny the next day on national news.
This officer could (have) lost her life last night. She’s hospitalized right now, but she still has the spirit and the bravery that these officers and firefighters display every day — every day. We have to change the narrative of the law enforcement across this country.
Louie Rainone, a nearby business owner who had video surveillance of the encounter, something that mortified him.
“It is terrible. It is total disregard for law enforcement. They put their lives forward every day for us and to see somebody do this, to pummel the police officer is terrible. It is a terrible thing,” Rainone said.
“I think it’s pretty apparent that it was a horrific incident. … Anytime you face a life-or-death situation, then you can use deadly force, because that’s what he was trying to do to her,” Johnson said in his statement.
No comment yet from the black lives matter movement, but they may be reserving judgement until they confirm the race of the officer who’s head was bashed in.
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