Posted on 06/22/2006 9:14:58 AM PDT by Borges
Three Chicago Police officers ran away when a fellow officer was struggling for his life with an armed man in a Dominick's store on the South Side, officials said Wednesday.
Two of the fleeing officers were about 10 months into their 18-month probationary period before they could have become full-fledged officers with union benefits.
Those female officers -- called PPOs in cop parlance -- have been fired by police Supt. Phil Cline.
"After reviewing the evidence, it was clear to me that the two PPOs didn't do what they were trained to do, and they put the officer in peril," Cline said.
A third male officer, whose probation ended about three months ago, faces a departmental investigation and possible termination, too.
Captured on security camera
Cline can fire probationary officers at will, but full-fledged officers have extensive due-process rights.
The incident was captured on a Dominick's security camera and was reviewed by department officials.
The videotape may be used to show recruits at the police academy what officers should never do.
But recruits also could learn from the heroic performance of the officer who struggled alone with the gunman, sources said.
It is very unusual for officers -- whether they are probationary or full time -- to face disciplinary action for cowardice, sources said.
But such allegations are almost never captured on videotape, they said.
The four Grand Crossing District officers were responding to a shoplifting call at 10:30 p.m. on June 3 at a Dominick's in the 2100 block of East 71st.
James King, 47, of Park Forest, started fighting in the store with a male officer who was trying to arrest him for sneaking out with stolen goods, police said. The officer had one handcuff on King when he struggled to break free, police said.
King removed a 9mm pistol from his pants pocket and pointed the weapon at the officer, who then fatally shot King, officials said. An investigation found that the officer, who has been on the force about four years, had followed department rules on using deadly force. The department did not identify that officer.
Not what cops are trained to do
Assistant Deputy Supt. Matthew Tobias, who runs the Police Department's training academy, would not discuss the incident.
But he spoke generally about what officers are trained to do.
"When they have the means to take appropriate action, they are not taught to turn their back and run away," Tobias said.
"If you have the means and knowledge to protect citizens or other officers, you are expected to take action -- and will be held accountable when you do not take action."
Kline's a drooling gun grabber. Ordinary citizens in Chicago put up with these thugs regularly and he requires them to face the thugs unarmed. These rookies were just following the advice and demands he gives Chicago's finest-THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY!
Any link to the video?
Seems the three should be entitled to union scale actor wages and royalties.
/sarcasm
Female officers? I shudder at the thought. I live near a restaurant where most(?) city police officers seem to visit regularly and every time I see 6'5" officers come in accompanied by a 5'-1" cookie strutting like a peackock, I just shake my head.
Maybe they should be fired for failure to earn their paycheck, not for cowardice.
no, you were right the first time. that guy has no business calling himself anything else.
Probably just as well -- after that, who else on the force would trust them to have their backs -- or would care overmuch about having the coward's backs -- in a pinch?
Excellent point, and you have to wonder how many more EEO-hired cowards are wearing the badge who have yet to face their "moment of truth".
Back when I worked at UPS it was pretty much impossible to get fired. Anything short of stealing (which would definitely get you fired) and you'd keep your job.
But what they did was take you out of the operation and send you around to other sites where you had an opportunity to talk to others about your incompetence.
So every once and awhile before the shift started we were gathered into the break room for a meeting. Our supervisor would start with an introduction: "Today we're going to listen to Bob and he's going to tell us how not to be an idiot like him. Bob?"
"Hi, I'm Bob and I'm an idiot. Last month I (blah-blah-blah) which laid waste to eight city blocks and put 12 critters on the endangered species list. Don't be an idiot like me."
It was kind'a surreal.
PPO? I can only imagine what these abbreviations mean and I don't think it's complimentary.
That said, I do know one cop who is a little slip of a girl, a friend of my sister's, who can definitely hold her own. In a bar once, I saw her take down a mean drunk three times her size and give him a damn good beating. I ran over to see if she needed help, but by the time I got there the guy was on the ground whimpering.
You were brave enough to say and write exactly what I was thinking!
I hope these people never have to call the cops for help. I would suggest they quietly move to another state.
Those female officers -- called PPOs in cop parlance -- have been fired by police Supt. Phil Cline.
Somebody had best teach these writers the nuances of threaded logic in English. This construction makes it sound like female officers (not probationary ones) are called PPOs. I was budily trying to figure out the meaning of the first P before I noticed the poor writing had fouled up the logical thread.
My dog writes better than this!
In ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, I'd agree with you, but there are the occasional big, strong women who are up to the job. I'm thinking in particular of a female firefighter who used to do that Eco-Challenge race. She was a total brute (in a good way) and out-raced and out-muscled most of the guys.
Regardless, standards (physical and academic) for cops and firefighters should never be lowered to accommodate any group. You either pass or you don't.
See post 35 - my rant on the poor writing!
I hate it when people sacrifice clarity for the sake of brevity. It would have been much clearer with the change of a single word:
Those probationary officers -- called PPOs in cop parlance -- have been fired by police Supt. Phil Cline.
What, and leave show business?
When I was in the Army, a Sergeant accidently discharged his pistol in a crowded room by letting the slide slip out of his hand when clearing it before turning it into the arms room. The round bounced off the floor between someone's legs and lodged in a wall.
Didn't lose his stripes, but he did get to go around to every section of every platoon in the battalion and give a demonstration on the proper clearing of a M1911 .45 pistol. ;-)
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