Chicago Police Department excessive force complaints up 20 percent before recent unrest

CHICAGO (WLS) -- New data obtained by the I-Team reveals a huge jump in excessive force complaints against Chicago police personnel. Data from the Civilian Office of Police Accountability show that there has been a more than twenty percent jump in excessive force complaints made against Chicago police officers so far this year, a spike that doesn't even include what we have seen play out on the streets the past week.

In 2018 COPA received 239 excessive force complaints. That jumped 80% to 431 in 2019. So far this year, there have been 170 complaints of excessive force, 30 more than than the same period last year.

"Unfortunately, we've seen some, and I think a few who have dishonored their badge, and they will be dealt with accordingly. But the vast majority of officers that are out there are doing their job the right way," said Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

"We have seen officers exercising restraint and professionalism during fairly intense confrontations, but we have also witnessed uses of force that appear excessive," Sydney Roberts, Civilian Office of Police Accountability Chief Administrator, said Thursday.

COPA was urging that officers involved in the Brickyard Mall incident where two women were pulled from a car and thrown to the pavement be taken off the street and stripped of their police powers. Late Friday, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown relieved two of the involved officers of their police powers, pending the COPA investigation. In a statement, Chicago Police officials wrote that they are "also aware of the independent investigation being conducted by the Cook County State's Attorney's Office" into the incident.

Since protests and street violence started in recent days, authorities say there have been more than 250 complaints of all kinds lodged against Chicago police. Now, another video that appears to show a protester pushed down and punched by CPD riot police Monday night in Uptown is also under investigation by Chicago Police.

When asked today about the I-Team's excessive force complaint figures Mayor Lightfoot said she has "great confidence" in the independent Civilian Office of Police Accountability especially, she says, since COPA has put together a specific squad just to address allegations against police working the George Floyd protests.