Chicago cop suspended after telling person, ‘we stopped you because you are ugly as f***’: COPA
CHICAGO - A Chicago police officer was caught on body-worn camera telling a person, "We stopped you because you are ugly as f***," after an encounter that the Civilian Office of Police Accountability determined involved an unjustified stop and search.
According to COPA's investigation, Officer Oscar Furlan made the remark after the encounter had ended. Furlan told investigators he did not dispute making the comment but said he made it under his breath to his partner. COPA said body-worn camera footage showed Furlan yelled the remark in the direction of the person.
COPA found the comment was disrespectful and unprofessional and had no law enforcement purpose. The agency said Furlan's conduct violated Chicago Police Department rules and policies requiring officers to interact with people in a courteous, respectful and professional manner.
What led to the encounter
The backstory:
The incident happened Dec. 10, 2024, in the 7500 block of S. Merrill Avenue, according to the COPA report. Furlan and two other officers stopped the person after saying they were in a high-crime area, saw the person walking with his hands in his pockets and said the person ignored an officer's request to remove his hands.
COPA determined the officers lacked the "reasonable, articulable" suspicion needed to justify the stop. Investigators said the officers were acting on a mere hunch rather than specific facts indicating the person was involved in criminal activity.
Furlan and another officer then conducted a protective pat-down. COPA found they did not have specific facts indicating the person was armed and dangerous. The person told officers his hands were in his pockets because he was cold, and investigators noted temperatures were in the mid-30s that day.
The person repeatedly told officers they had just gotten off the bus and were coming from school, but the officers continued with the stop.
COPA also found all three officers failed to complete an Investigatory Stop Report documenting the detention and pat-down.
Discipline
COPA recommended that Furlan receive a one- to 10-day suspension and retraining on professionalism, investigatory stops, protective pat-downs and reporting requirements. CPD agreed to a five-day suspension for Furlan and a three-day suspension for another officer who was involved.
Fox Chicago reached out to CPD for a statement but did not receive an immediate response.
The Source: The information in this report came from the Civilian Office of Police Accountability.