The anti-violence organization CeaseFire announced Tuesday it had a new interim director, hours after the previous head appeared in court on a domestic battery charge.
Dr. Candice M. Kane already served as CeaseFire's chief operating officer. She takes over for Tio Hardiman as the group's director, effective immediately.
"CeaseFire Illinois has had a very successful first half of the year working to curb violence in Chicago neighborhoods in partnership with Mayor Emanuel's citywide violence prevention initiative," said Dr. Gary Slutkin, the founder and executive director of Cure Violence, CeaseFire's parent organization, in a statment. "It is vitally important that we keep up the momentum of these critical efforts and the appointment of Dr. Kane will ensure we maintain consistency in our program implementation."
A judge earlier in the day granted Hardiman's wife an order of protection to keep her safe after Hardiman allegedly became violent with her.
"She is in fear," said Ferdinand Serpe, who is representing the wife of Tio Hardiman. "In her words she was beaten like an animal."
While Hardiman denies the allegations, CeaseFire officials quickly moved to distance themselves from him. Hardiman was immediately placed on administrative leave following his arrest last Friday, and it was announced Monday that his contract with the organization would not be renewed.
CeaseFire was featured in the 2011 documentary "The Interrupters" and got $1 million from Chicago to work with police to reduce crime in two violence-plagued neighborhoods.
