Chicago police officer files lawsuit alleging racist harassment by colleagues

Chicago police officer sues city, alleging racial harassment by fellow officers

A Chicago police officer is suing the city, claiming he was subjected to racial attacks by fellow officers. The accusations against the department include a bigoted cartoon of a Black man with a gun pointed at his own head.

CHICAGO - A Chicago police officer has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city and several colleagues, alleging he was racially harassed and retaliated against after intervening to de-escalate an incident involving a pregnant woman.

Chicago police lawsuit

What we know:

According to the filing, the incident happened on March 17, when officer Anthony Banks stepped in as officers confronted and bumped into a pregnant woman. 

Banks said he attempted to de-escalate the situation, but later that day, he was surrounded inside a police station by several fellow officers. The lawsuit claims those officers shouted racial slurs at him and told him to "go back where you came from."

Banks, who is Black, said the encounter escalated to the point that he was blocked from leaving the room, effectively being held against his will.

The complaint alleged that the next day, Banks received a racist and threatening image on his department-issued phone. The image included a racist caricature of a Black man with a gun in his mouth.

Banks accused the officers and supervisors of creating a hostile work environment, violating his constitutional rights and leaking an internal police statement he was ordered to write. 

The lawsuit named the City of Chicago, multiple officers, a sergeant and a lieutenant as defendants. 

"Toxic culture"

What they're saying:

Banks’ attorney, Blake Horwitz, said the case shows "the toxic culture inside the Chicago Police Department—where an officer who does the right thing becomes the target of racial hostility by his own colleagues."

"I don't think he has words to describe it, just horrific… that for him it was a horrific experience and invoked a lot of fear," Horwitz added.

What's next:

The lawsuit seeks damages for lost wages, emotional distress and attorney’s fees. It also calls for reforms within CPD to prevent what it describes as "a culture of racism and retaliation."

Banks is back on the job after taking medical leave, citing emotional distress. 

The Chicago Police Department said it does not comment on pending litigation.