On Nov. 4, history was made. Barack Obama was elected to be the country’s first Black president. Millions of voters went to the polls in hopes that his presidency would bring “change.”
But for several West Side residents celebrating Obama’s victory in Chicago, change looked a lot like good old-fashioned police brutality.
“Basically, we have a whole neighborhood behind us saying what the police did, so we have over 200, 300 people say they was mistreated. I mean whose side are you going to believe,” said Christopher Cobbs. (ABC7, Nov. 21)
According to testimony from those who were victimized, the police carried out a coordinated rampage. Twenty-two people said they were targeted by police officers who used pepper spray, Tasers, racial slurs and outright violence to intimidate people as they celebrated the election of the first Black president. When people fought back to defend themselves, they were met with more violence.
To add insult to injury, the police stations tried to prevent victims from reporting the racist attack. One family who tried reporting the incident, was told that all the officers were out on patrol. When the family returned the next day, they were given the run around again. They finally turned to the Independent Police Review Authority, which is taking up the case.
Police reportedly broke cameras that contained photo evidence of the incident. All charges against those arrested during the police assault were eventually dismissed.
“First of all, it didn’t happen in Grant Park where there are cameras all over the place,” said attorney Blake Horowitz, who named at least eight officers in the criminal complaint. “It didn’t happen in other suburbs that are Caucasian. It happened in an African American neighborhood. And, yeah to me it feels profoundly racist.”
Though the outcome of the lawsuits filed against the police remains to be seen, cops often receive slaps on the wrist for gross brutality and other serious violations. There is little recourse in the justice system for racist hate crimes committed by cops, but when people are forced to fight back they face violent retaliation and arrest. The cops claim their job is to “protect and serve”—the question is who will protect Black Chicago residents from this racist police force?
