A Chicago police officer who was caught flipping off protesters last week has been relieved of his police powers, the department says, as demonstrations continue following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month.
Meanwhile, the mayor of Joliet has spoken out for the first time since a video surfaced showing him grabbing a protester in a heated altercation.
And another video has surfaced from the suburbs, this time of an encounter in Naperville in which two teens say a man racially profiled them and threatened them with a bat.
Here are the latest headlines on the protests and fallout continuing across the Chicago area:
Large Protest Forms in Naperville, Police Say
Naperville police alerted residents Wednesday afternoon that a large protest was forming near Webster Street and Jefferson Avenue.
"Please use caution when traveling near downtown during this time," the tweet from police states. "Intermittent street closures could be necessary if the group decides to march. There will continue to be a police presence in the area."
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Chicago Officer Who Flipped Off Protesters Relieved of Police Powers
A Chicago police officer who was caught on camera flipping off protesters has been relieved of his police powers, authorities said Tuesday.
Supt. David Brown relieved the officer of his police powers for "conduct unbecoming," CPD said in a statement.
"The officer used a vulgar, offensive gesture directed at a member of the public while on duty and in uniform," the statement continued, adding that the officer would be "limited to administrative duties at the direction of the Superintendent."
The incident in question was captured by Block Club Chicago during a protest in Lincoln Park on Thursday. Block Club reported that a protester flipped a middle finger at a bus carrying several officers - one of whom flipped both his middle fingers at the protesters in return.
Teens Say Man With Bat Allegedly Threatened Them After Naperville Protest
Two Oswego teens say they were racially profiled by a man wielding a baseball bat in suburban Naperville following protests in the community earlier this month.
The teens say they were leaving the protest on June 1 at approximately 10 p.m. when they say a man with a bat began yelling at them.
“We were just walking and trying to get to my car so we could get home safely,” one of the teens, who asked not to be identified, said. “None of us knew our way around that neighborhood. None of us lived in Naperville, so we weren’t familiar with where we were.”
The video shows the man screaming at the teens, who said he appeared to threaten them with the bat.
The faces in the video NBC 5 has obtained are blurred because no criminal charges have been filed. Naperville police confirmed that they are investigating the incident.
Joliet Mayor Speaks Out After Filmed Confrontation
Joliet Mayor Bob O’Dekirk said Tuesday that the idea of resigning never crossed his mind following an incident caught on camera that shows him grabbing a man and wrestling him to the ground.
O’Dekirk, a former Joliet police officer, was accompanying police last week when he said protests turned into chaos. The video shows O’Dekirk grabbing Victor Williams, 23, and wrestling him to the ground.
Williams’ attorneys said their client was trying to walk to his older brother, Jamal Smith.
“The video doesn’t exactly show what was exchanged in terms of words, but the next thing you know, he grabs him by around the area around his neck and pushes him violently,” said attorney Michael Baker.
Williams and Smith are both facing assault and mob action charges. The incident is being investigated by the Illinois State Police.
Activist Announces $200K in Grants for Black-Owned Businesses That Were Looted
Chicago activist Ja'Mal Green and Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives President David Doig announced more than $200,000 in grants available to black businesses that were looted in the unrest following the killing of George Floyd.
Over the course of a week, Green and Doig said they raised the money from small donors, banks and philanthropists to distribute grants ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 to each business based on their need starting this week.
The grants won't require any paperwork, the two say, and will be chosen based off pictures of damages incurred.
Rev. Jackson Plans March to King's Former Home
Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., faith leaders and members of the Chicago Police Board as well as the Civilian Office of Police Accountability are planning to take part in a march in Chicago on Friday.
The march will take place along the Eisenhower Expressway, beginning at Independence Boulevard at 12 p.m. and ending at the apartment where Dr. Martin Luther King once lived at 1550 S. Hamlin Ave.
"The vision for this historic march was birthed upon the tragic death of the late George Floyd who was murdered by the hands of an overzealous Minneapolis Police Officer," a statement on the march reads. "With one voice and one message the group will advocate for better schools, improved housing, affordable healthcare services and increased economic development in black and brown communities."
