The officers are not being named. They are suspended without pay for 30 days. The action was taken after the chief of police was made aware of a conversation recorded in a patrol car.
A dash cam video was recorded back in December when several patrol officers were making routine traffic stops. The video with sound was obtained by an attorney who was preparing for a DUI case.
That lawyer says after he viewed the traffic stop, he stumbled upon a later conversation on the tape which took place during another traffic stop. He was offended by what he heard.
"I came across some very racially charged and insensitive language that quite frankly as an Orland park resident it concerned me but as an attorney it made me angry," said Don Perry, attorney.
Orland Park Police Chief Tim McCarthy tells the ABC7 I-Team: "The entire conversation from beginning to end was unprofessional and it put the department in a very negative image. The remarks are offensive and could be harmful and we want to hold employees to a high standard."
McCarthy says the hefty suspension was not made lightly and says it's one of the toughest decisions he's made in 41 years.
