Chicago police union boss apologizes for comments downplaying mob attack on Capitol

[mucifer]

John Catanzara, who heads Chicago’s largest police union, apologized Friday for comments he made during an interview with a radio reporter in which he downplayed the actions of a mob of supporters of President Donald Trump who stormed the U.S. Capitol building.

In a statement on the union’s website to thousands of active and retired Chicago police officers, Catanzara said he showed a lapse of good judgment in some of his comments about the chaotic scene in Washington that included the shooting death of a woman, the deaths of three other people and injuries to numerous police officers, including one who later died.

“For that I am sorry,” wrote Catanzara, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7. “I brought negative attention to our lodge, the FOP family and law enforcement in general.”

Catanzara didn’t specify which news outlet he was referencing in his apology, but he drew immediate outrage on social media Thursday for comments he made to WBEZ-FM 91.5 about the incident, such as, “there’s no, obviously, violence in this crowd.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/criminal-justice/ct-catanzara-fop-capitol-riot-apology-20210108-h4rnwz2inbggrhwbqghv5e73za-story.html

I have had so much hate for a long time for this police union. They supported jon burge who tortured black men for decades into false confessions. This is what caused Illinois to get rid of the death penalty.

[Mosby]

1. Police unions need to be eliminated.

They already have employment protections through the various gov entities they work for.

Right now they act as shadow management of the police departments

[MyOwnPeace]

11. No. They need sane and intelligent leadership.

supporting a force that will enforce and ABIDE by laws that will protect EVERYBODY.

[Hekate]

17. They'll be well-represented by City & County employee unions & Commissions....

The police unions have too often become institutions that actively support a mentality that sees cops as separate from communities, like an occupying army. We saw this last summer when it turned out there was literally extra-curricular training on how to be “warriors.”

Los Angeles PD, for instance, has a chronic unsolved problem with what are essentially gang tattoos on their force.

It’s time for the cop unions to be decertified.

[msongs]

18. PD union leadership reflect the opinions and valuess of rank and file officers

[MurrayDelph]

19. If not all, at least start with the ones

containing the words "benevolent," "fraternal," "brotherhood," or "protective" in their names.

[BeyondGeography]

2. No, you said something unforgivably stupid and dangerous

Asshole.

[Fullduplexxx]

3. He needs to go

[catbyte]

4. Yeah, it's all fun and games until a police officer dies.

My dad was a cop for 30 years and he despised jerks like this clown. He has no business carrying a badge.

[Nevilledog]

14. +1

[thucythucy]

5. So the head of this police union doesn't think a police officer dying

as a result of a rampaging mob is violence.

You'd think his rank and file members might have something to say about that.

[bdjhawk]

6. Rump tweeted congrats to him when he was elected FOP prez

He has a framed enlargement of the tweet in his office and is proudly a lockstep Rump supporter. He has so many complaints filed against him for years but is never fired. Racist sexist trash

[Saboburns]

7. I bet old dude is sorry. Today.

And for the rest of his unemployable life.

[NoRoadUntravelled]

8. And yet the ONLY union support Trump got for election 2020 was from the police unions.

Imagine that.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

9. ACAB.

[The Roux Comes First]

10. "A Lapse of Good Judgment"??

He's not even good with euphemisms.

Time for a new career, pal. There may still be a market for lie-peddling and skunkery, especially with all the other rats running for cover.

[cate94]

12. Resign

That lapse of judgement was unforgivable.

[bluestarone]

13. 100% union supporter here BUT

THIS fucker needs to be in prison!

[Hekate]

15. Odd how I remember Chicago 1968 so vividly. nt

[LisaL]

16. A cop got hit on the head and killed during this coup.

For the police union boss to have claimed there was no violence is absurd.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

20. Until the cop died, there was no violence.

After the cop died, then the union boss thought twice about what he said.

If no cop died, the union boss would never recant his original statement.