Name: Chicago Police Dept. strips FOP president John Catanzara of pay, pushes forward with firing
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Chicago Police Dept. strips FOP president John Catanzara of pay, pushes forward with firing

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Posted: Feb 10, 2021 / 01:40 PM CSTUpdated: Feb 10, 2021 / 06:15 PM CSTThis is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.CHICAGO — Chicago Fraternal Order of Police president John Catanzara was summoned to police headquarters Tuesday and formally served with administrative misconduct charges.&nbsp;The documents have the effect of notifying Catanzara he won’t be paid for at least the next 30 days while he awaits a decision by the Chicago Police Board.It’s the latest salvo in an ongoing bitter battle between Catanzara, City Hall and police brass. &nbsp;“It’ll probably give me more support with members for being attacked,” Catanzara told WGN Investigates.&nbsp;“It’ll piss (police) off more.”In January, CPD Supt. David Brown filed charges with the police board accusing Catanzara of multiple rules violations and recommending Catanzara be discharged from the department.&nbsp;The violations, originally put forth by former interim superintendent Charlie Beck, against former police Supt. Eddie Johnson for his participation in an anti-violence march that took place on the Dan Ryan expressway in July of 2018.&nbsp;Catanzara claimed Johnson broke the law by allowing people to wrongfully march on the highway.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Catanzara called the move to fire him hypocritical at a time when Supt. Brown is trumpeting police reforms which encourage officers to report suspected misconduct by members of their own department.He vows a vigorous defense suggesting he could subpoena everyone involved in allowing the 2018 anti-violence march to testify under oath at his police board hearing. &nbsp;Marchers did not have a permit or permission to shut down the highway; but Illinois State Police and then-mayor Rahm Emanuel looked the other way.&nbsp;An unfair labor practices complaint has also been filed accusing the City of Chicago of targeting Catanzara because of his work leading the police union.&nbsp;The Police Board is also considering complaints involving several social media posts Catanzara made dating back to 2016.&nbsp;They include a post in which he suggested killing people.&nbsp;In another post about Muslims, the Police Board said Catanzara wrote “savages, they all deserve a bullet.” Catanzara defended the comments by saying he was referring to cop killers and people who mutilate women in the name of Islam. &nbsp;&nbsp;In a different post, he making a political statement, which is against department policy.Chicago police officers have been working under an expired contract since 2017.&nbsp;In December,from the department if the city agreed to give officers retroactive pay.&nbsp;“There’s the gauntlet.&nbsp; Call my bluff.&nbsp; I dare you,” Catanzara told WGN in DecemberA final determination on Catanzara’ fate as a police officer could come as soon as its next meeting March 18. &nbsp;However, even if the police board decides to terminate Catanzara from the department, it’s widely believed he could continue to lead the union as a retired officer.&nbsp;The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 reimburses the police department for Catanzara’s salary since he works full-time with the union, Catanzara said.There’s no love lost between Catanzara and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot whose disagreements frequently spill into the public spotlight.&nbsp;In July, on a series of heated text messages between the two in which the mayor repeatedly called Catanzara a “clown” and he told her officers have “zero respect for you.”&nbsp;Suggest a CorrectionThanks for signing up!Watch for us in your inbox.Subscribe Now✕× Close Ad

Posted: Feb 10, 2021 / 01:40 PM CSTUpdated: Feb 10, 2021 / 06:15 PM CSTThis is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.CHICAGO — Chicago Fraternal Order of Police president John Catanzara was summoned to police headquarters Tuesday and formally served with administrative misconduct charges.&nbsp;The documents have the effect of notifying Catanzara he won’t be paid for at least the next 30 days while he awaits a decision by the Chicago Police Board.It’s the latest salvo in an ongoing...

Chicago Police Dept. strips FOP president John Catanzara of pay, pushes forward with firing

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