Body camera video obtained by NBC 5 Investigates on Friday shows the drug-related arrest of a man in a Chicago police deputy chief's vehicle, which was being driven by the high-ranking officer's niece, who can be heard on the footage telling officers at the scene that her aunt is "probably your boss."
The arrest took place at 11:22 a.m. on Feb. 1 in the 500 block of North St. Louis Avenue in Chicago's East Garfield Park neighborhood, according to police reports on the arrest also obtained by NBC 5 Investigates.
The reports say officers were conducting a narcotics investigation when they saw a man later identified as Kenneth Miles approach a black SUV parked in the 3400 block of West Chicago Avenue. Authorities said officers saw Miles bend down and then return to standing a few seconds later with a multicolored item in his hand that police believed to be packaged narcotics.
Miles, 34, then walked to a silver Lexus parked in front of the SUV and entered the front passenger seat, according to the police narrative, which said the car began to drive away. As officers attempted to stop the vehicle in a nearby alley, police said Miles rolled down the window and threw a multi-colored bag that contained 84 individual bags of a white powder suspected to be heroin.
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The evidence inventory from the arrest lists 42 grams of heroin with an estimated street value of $6,300. Miles was charged with felony possession of heroin, according to police.
Police body-worn camera video shows a woman - identified in several media reports as the niece of the Chicago Police Department’s Bureau of Internal Affairs Chief Yolanda Talley - exit the driver's seat of the vehicle as an officer places handcuffs on Miles, then pats him down.
Another body camera captured the woman telling officers, "Don't worry about it, my auntie's probably your boss," and then informing them, "My auntie is a police officer too. This is her car."
Investigations
The name of the woman, who was not taken into custody or charged with any wrongdoing, is redacted in the report released Friday, which refers to her only as a witness. Her face is also blurred in the videos released by CPD.
Talley is also not named in the report, which says the car was returned to someone - whose name is also redacted - after an investigation revealed that the person "did not have any knowledge of said narcotics being inside the vehicle."
CPD announced Talley's promotion to head the Bureau of Internal Affairs, the unit responsible for investigating allegations of misconduct, in December.
When asked for comment Friday, CPD said in a statement that the "matter was immediately referred to the Inspector General for investigation."
