A Chicago police officer who was recorded in a video saying “I kill mother—-ers” to two Black men during a profanity-ridden confrontation in 2018 has been stripped of his police powers, reportedly following another civilian complaint, officials said Saturday.
Officer James Hunt was seen in the viral video threatening to lock up the men for “walking in the street ... illegally,” after the men asked Hunt if he tried to hit them with his squad car, the Sun-Times reported in July of 2018.
The officer then got out of his car and followed the men into a park, calling one of the men a “retard” and incorrectly saying they weren’t allowed to record him, according to a report issued by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, which investigates misconduct allegations.
COPA investigators blasted Hunt’s conduct as “deliberate, malicious, aggressive, and demoralizing behavior that demonstrated disdain for members of the public.” The agency recommended at least a 180-day suspension.
But Hunt’s loss of police powers and reassignment to desk duty last week follows a more recent civilian complaint — one that took place May 30, 2020, as protests following the murder of George Floyd by former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin sprung up across the city, according to a report by CBS 2.
In the complaint, a woman said she got caught up in a “large crowd” while driving downtown, and as she tried to get away, an officer broke her passenger-side window and wrestled her for her phone, the news station reported.
The woman also accused one of the officers — identified as Hunt by CBS 2 — of lifting her up by her head, calling her “fat” and “b—-.”
Chicago Police Department spokesman Don Terry confirmed Saturday that Hunt was “relieved” of his police powers, but wouldn’t say why.
John Catanzara, Fraternal Order of Police president, said CPD stripped Hunt of his police powers “24 hours” before he was set to start training to become a field training officer.
“It’s retaliatory in nature,” Catanzara said, adding that if the incident during the protest was “that severe,” Hunt would’ve been stripped of his police powers sooner.
COPA officials didn’t immediately return messages seeking comment.
