Police officers in the country continue to be under attack, but the aggressors are not criminals on the street approaching them with guns. The latest assault on police is from watchdog groups that monitor police interactions, supposedly to ensure accountability. In Chicago, they are trampling the grave of an officer killed in action, and they are doing it because she showed some decency and allowed a woman being detained to cover up her body.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability, a watchdog group for the Chicago Police Department, released a report last week recommending a three-day suspension for a police officer who turned off her body camera in the middle of police interaction. The officer was Ella French. She was killed in action during a traffic stop in August.
The recommendation was based on a review of an incident in February 2019, according to Fox News. During a raid that French was a part of, police officers entered a house looking for a suspect when they encountered Anjanette Young, who was getting undressed for bed. While police were executing a search warrant, Young was handcuffed while naked. She interacted with French, who uncuffed Young and turned her bodycam off so that Young could get dressed.
French’s decision to turn off her bodycam led to COPA’s posthumously published recommendation that she be suspended.
“COPA has considered Officer French’s complimentary history, her lack of prior disciplinary history, and her over three years of service to the department, and her status as PPO at the time of the incident in mitigation. Officer French failed to timely activate her body-worn camera and failed to document the detention and search of the male and his vehicle in an Investigatory Stop Report. Accordingly, COPA recommends a three-day suspension” the report stated.
The review of the incident and recommendation for suspension was originally concluded in April, months before French was killed, Fox News reports. COPA claims it had no choice but to include French’s name in this report due to protocol.
“Per ordinance (Municipal Code of Chicago 2-78-145), COPA must make reports open to public inspection. COPA can only redact information to the extent it is exempted from disclosure by the Freedom of Information Act or any other applicable law. COPA released the report, previously completed April 27, 2021, as required by ordinance.”
Incidentally, even though the review of the raid was conducted because Anjanette Young filed a complaint, Young’s complaint was not with French. In fact, she praised French as the only officer who had demonstrated “dignity or respect” toward her that night. That did not stop COPA from proceeding with its absurd recommendation.
Additionally, Anjanette Young released a statement after French was killed in action.
“Officer French was the only officer who showed Ms. Young any dignity or respect on the night of the raid,” Young’s statement said. “Ms. Young is praying for Officer French’s family and offers her sincerest condolences to them and all of Officer French’s friends and colleagues.”
The incident reveals the horrors of dealing with bureaucratic, agenda-driven watchdog groups the members of which seem to be filled with ideology and devoid of common sense.
It is one thing to include French’s name in a list for a suspension months after she was killed. Whether it was protocol or not, somebody somewhere should have the foresight to know better and adjust accordingly.
But what is more troubling is that French, had she survived, was going to be punished for showing some decency, something it would be nice to see more police show. If COPA wants to reprimand police officers for doing good, it seriously undermines its own credibility.
