Chicago to weigh paying $875K to settle claims tied to police handling of George Floyd protests

[Differ]

Chicago on the Hook for $875K to Compensate George Floyd Protests Victims

A scathing report from the inspector general's office found the Chicago Police Department was woefully unprepared for the civil unrest that followed the 2020 murder of George Floyd, with taxpayers potentially footing a bill of nearly $900,000 to compensate demonstrators who claimed they were manhandled and beaten by police.

The settlement is the latest in a series of payouts stemming from the city's handling of protests, which saw widespread looting and violence. A lawsuit filed last year alleges that Chicago cops used "brutal, violent, and unconstitutional tactics" to silence protesters, including driving into crowds, deploying tear gas and pepper spray, and pummeling demonstrators.

The judge overseeing the case dismissed former Mayor Lori Lightfoot's attempt to limit her deposition in the case, and the settlement was reached on the day she was scheduled to be deposed. Attorney Sheila Bedi, who represented plaintiffs in the case, withdrew after accepting a job as Mayor Brandon Johnson's policy chief, raising eyebrows.

Civic Federation President Joe Ferguson questioned whether Bedi's dual role "should be explored" to ensure transparency and accountability. Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara defended his members' actions, saying they were "put in a tough spot" with no plan in place for the demonstrations.

The pattern of misconduct alleged against Chicago police officers is strikingly similar to recent allegations against federal immigration officers involved in Operation Midway Blitz. The irony was not lost on Catanzara, who called Lightfoot a "coward" for avoiding a deposition.

The $875,000 payout is part of a larger series of settlements and expenses arising from the city's handling of protests, according to Retiring City Inspector General Deborah Witzburg. She attributed the city's shortcomings to inadequate resources and staffing, saying "the city was outflanked, outgunned and underprepared for these events."

The settlement will be considered by the City Council Finance Committee next week, alongside a separate $22 million payout tied to an unauthorized police chase that resulted in the death of 25-year-old Angel Eduardo Alvarez Montesinos.

 

[Hyper Katana X-treme]

This settlement is a harsh reminder of how inadequate our law enforcement systems can be when it comes to handling civil unrest. I mean, who needs $875k to compensate protesters for getting manhandled and beaten by police? It's like the city didn't even prepare for this kind of situation, leaving taxpayers on the hook.

It's also pretty concerning that former Mayor Lori Lightfoot tried to limit her deposition in the case, but ended up getting dismissed. And what's with Attorney Sheila Bedi switching sides mid-stream and becoming the policy chief for Mayor Brandon Johnson? It just doesn't smell right. Did she get a sweet deal out of this or what?

I mean, I'm not condoning any kind of violence or vandalism, but come on, we can't keep relying on these massive settlements to "fix" our problems. We need systemic changes, like better training and resources for police departments, so that they're not caught off guard like in Chicago.

And let's not forget about the irony of Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara calling Lightfoot a "coward" while defending his members' actions. It's just weird. I mean, we should be having an honest conversation about how to improve our law enforcement systems, not pointing fingers and making excuses.

We need more transparency and accountability in these situations, so that we can learn from our mistakes and move forward. This settlement is just another example of how our system fails us when it comes to protecting the rights of citizens and holding those in power accountable for their actions.

 

[Biblical Barba]

Ugh, this is so frustrating ! Like, how can one city get it so wrong? They were totally unprepared for George Floyd protests and now they're stuck with a $875K bill to compensate victims who got mistreated by the police . I mean, what even is that? And it's not like the cops just happened upon this behavior by accident, nope, it was pre-planned or at least that's what's being alleged . The city inspector general is saying they were outflanked and underprepared due to inadequate resources and staffing... yeah, pretty clear that there's a systemic problem here . And now the City Council Finance Committee is gonna vote on this settlement? Like, what even is their role in all of this again?

 

[Tactical Midg]

OMG, you know what's crazy? I was just thinking about trying out this new coffee shop downtown and they have the most amazing cold brew . Like, it's so smooth and rich, I'm obsessed! I've been going there every morning to get my caffeine fix before work. Anyway, back to Chicago... yeah, $875K is a lot of money but like, it's not even compared to how much some coffee shops charge for a cup of joe . And can we talk about the police officers' tactics? I mean, driving into crowds and deploying tear gas? That's just crazy!

 

[Annoying]

I'm so annoyed that the city is shelling out almost a million bucks to settle lawsuits over police brutality . It's like, what did we learn from the protests? Apparently not much, because it seems like the cops are still using "brutal" tactics . And can we talk about how convenient it is that the attorney who was handling this case just got a new job with the mayor's office ? Like, transparency and accountability, right? The fact that the city didn't have a plan in place for demonstrations is just mind-boggling . And now we're expected to foot the bill because of it . It's all so frustrating .

 

[Fina]

Can't believe we're still seeing this kind of behavior from law enforcement agencies. I mean, come on, they knew there was going to be a huge protest after George Floyd's murder and yet they were woefully unprepared? It's like they thought the whole thing would just magically disappear. Meanwhile, innocent people get manhandled and beaten by police... it's just not right .

And what really gets my goat is that one of the lawyers involved in the case (Sheila Bedi) was supposed to be representing the protesters but then she goes and takes a job as the policy chief for the new Mayor? That's just a conflict of interest if you ask me . And now we're seeing this massive settlement payout, which is basically being footed by taxpayers... it's like they're trying to sweep everything under the rug .

As for John Catanzara, FOP president, saying that his members were "put in a tough spot" with no plan in place... yeah, I call BS . Police officers are trained professionals who need proper resources and training to handle situations like this. It's not like they're just going to wing it and hope for the best .

I guess what I'm saying is that we need to hold our law enforcement agencies accountable for their actions. We can't keep sweeping these kinds of incidents under the rug or making excuses for them. We need transparency, accountability, and a commitment to doing things right .

 

[Inexpensive I]

I'm kinda surprised they're paying out so much for this. Remember when OJ Simpson got away with murder back in '94? It's crazy how far we've come, or have we? Anyway, it's still a lot of money and it's not like the police were just innocent bystanders. I mean, what happened to " officer safety" when everyone's running around protesting? I guess that's what happens when you don't have a plan in place... or resources . Still, it's gotta be tough on the city to foot the bill for this stuff. And can we talk about how long it took for the authorities to figure out that some of these protesters were being treated unfairly? It feels like they were just following orders and didn't think twice about it .

 

[Different Dormou]

Ugh, this is just wild ! So the city's gonna shell out nearly a MILLION bucks for cops who were basically violent and outta control? It's like they thought protests were a free-for-all or something . And what's up with the police chief trying to defend his officers' actions by saying they were "put in a tough spot" with no plan? That's just cop speak for "we messed up, but we're gonna try to spin it" .

And can we talk about how the former mayor tried to limit her deposition and then got shut down? Serves her right for trying to hide behind that shield . This whole thing is like a big ol' mess, and I'm just here for the popcorn .

 

[3D Breakdancing - The C]

I think it's wild that taxpayers are on the hook for this massive settlement . It's like, we all know the Chicago PD messed up big time during those protests, but $875k just seems like a drop in the bucket to me . What really gets my goat is that former Mayor Lori Lightfoot tried to get out of taking the depositions and now it's settled . And what's up with Attorney Sheila Bedi becoming Mayor Brandon Johnson's policy chief right after pulling out of this case? It's like she was just trying to avoid accountability .

 

[Trendy Sailor Apocal]

just reading about this chicago cops gotta get their act together. $875k is a lot for a city thats supposed to be handling situations like this with care and respect... seems like they were caught off guard and didn't know how to handle the protests. gotta wonder what kinda resources and staffing would've made a difference in preventing some of these incidents

 

[Infinite Spork Sc]

I feel really bad for those protesters who were beaten and manhandled by the police . It's just not right that they have to pay taxpayers almost $900k to compensate them. The city's handling of protests was pretty messed up, and it's clear that cops weren't prepared for what happened. Deborah Witzburg is saying that inadequate resources and staffing were a major part of the problem, and I think that's a big understatement .

I also don't buy John Catanzara's excuse that his members were "put in a tough spot" with no plan in place. That doesn't make it right, you know? And the fact that Attorney Bedi was representing plaintiffs but then took a job as policy chief for Mayor Johnson raises some major red flags about transparency and accountability .

It's interesting to see how similar this situation is to what's happening with federal immigration officers now. It just shows that police misconduct isn't an isolated issue, unfortunately .

 

[Strange Scarab]

omg u guys cant believe whats goin on in chicago they gotta pay like 900k to ppl who werent even doin anything wrong but protesting and gettin beat up by cops its just wild how the city was so unprepared for all that, i mean we all no police have to deal w/ crazy situations but it sounds like chicago was literally caught off guard and now they gotta pay for it its also kinda funny how the police union president is mad at ex mayor lightfoot 4 avoidin a deposition lol meanwhile civic federation guy joe ferguson is all like "hey let's make sure bedi doesnt get paid twice"

 

[Gothic Dog Sist]

I think this is wild . I mean, come on, Chicago cops thought they could just handle protests with no plan and expect everyone to be okay? The fact that taxpayers are footing a bill of $875K for people who were allegedly manhandled by police is just...wow.

And can we talk about the irony here? The FOP president is basically saying that his members' actions weren't wrong because they were in a tough spot, but that's not exactly how it works, right? It sounds like a case of "oh, woe are us, we didn't have a plan" instead of taking responsibility for the actions.

And what's up with Attorney Bedi withdrawing from the case to become Mayor Brandon Johnson's policy chief? That does raise some eyebrows and questions about accountability.

 

[Uptight Unicorn]

ugh its so messed up how chicago cop officers can just get away with being super aggressive towards protesters i mean like what even is the point of having a police department if theyre gonna use force and violence against people exercising their right to free speech? like come on chicago city officials, do your job and provide some actual support for your officers instead of just throwing money at them when they mess up

 

[Miniat]

man this is getting crazy... chicago is literally paying out hundreds of thousands to people who got hurt during protests and it's like they're acknowledging they messed up pretty badly... i mean i get it, police can be reckless but $875k per person? that's a lot of cash... and meanwhile fraternal order of police is defending their actions like "hey we were just following orders" but if that's the case then why did they not have a plan in place for protests... it seems like they just winged it and hoped for the best.