Chicago Cops Involved In Shootings Get 24-Hour Cooling-Off Period

Chicago Police officers who have been involved in an officer-involved shooting will now have at least 24 hours to have "a proper sleep cycle" prior to making a statement to investigators.

The Fraternal Order of Police's Lodge 7 won the cooling-off period from an arbitrator, the union has announced.

The officer involved in a shooting will now have at least 24 hours to make a statement to the Independent Police Review Association (IPRA). Also, the statement must be made between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Officers involved in shooting incidents once participated in a "round-table" process where they gave a brief account of the circumstances surrounding a police shooting. This process was ceased in August.

When the lodge decided to stop participating in the round-table process, the IPRA established the policy that the officer must provide a statement as a witness within two hours of the shooting. Union representatives called this policy "uniquely incorrect," and have said the department should be providing leeway to accommodate an officer's level of stress or sleep deprivation.

By Paul Clinton

Related:

Chicago PD Eliminates 'Roundtables' After Officer Shootings