Members of Chicago’s Asian-American community said their meeting with Scott Ando shows his agency, the Independent Police Review Authority, has a problem holding cops accountable. Ando is the head of IPRA, which investigates police misconduct.
In a 2013 police raid caught on video, an officer makes racists comments to an Asian- American woman he’s arresting, and then he threatens her and her family with death. IPRA has recommended a 25-day suspension for the officer.
Andy Kang with Asian Americans Advancing Justice said Scott Ando defended that decision in a meeting Monday.
“For those that engage in police brutality, I think the message unfortunately, what it tells us is that those officers will get a slap on the wrist,” said Kang.
For weeks Ando has refused to discuss the case with WBEZ. Instead the agency sent a 12-sentence statement on the case to WBEZ on Monday.
According to the statement, the officers accepted responsibility for their actions. The statement goes on to say, “The average discipline in a sustained case of verbal abuse with bias ranges from a reprimand to a 15-day suspension. If there are aggravating factors present, which we certainly believed to be the case here, discipline would generally range from 16 to 30 days.”
Kang said, “It really is just baffling how you could watch the video and think that those officers are fit to carry a badge and a gun.”
Kang said Asian American community members are seeking a meeting with Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy to demand that he fire the officers involved.
