Whistleblower Chicago Cops Claim Retaliation
Two Chicago Police officers who reported officer misconduct to the FBI claim their commanders retaliated against them by giving them dead-end assignments.
Photo: Paul Clinton
Two Chicago Police officers who reported officer misconduct to the FBI claim their commanders retaliated against them by giving them dead-end assignments.
Shannon Spalding and Daniel Echeverria have sued the city of Chicago, Internal Affairs' Chief Juan Rivera, Deputy Chief Debra Kirby, and 10 other officers, including commanders and lieutenants, reports Courthouse News.
In 2006, the officers say they uncovered evidence that several officers including Sgt. Ronald Watts were robbing drug couriers and manufacturing a case against a confidential informant.
The officers reported it to their supervisor, and then to the FBI when commanders declined to investigate Sgt. Watts.
One supervisor told the officers "not to work with those IAD rats." The officers were reassigned to the police academy because "it's a safety issue" and "'I don't want to tell your daughter you're coming home in a box because the team won't help you on the street,'" according to the lawsuit.
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