Chicago Police broke into Bobby Rush's office during civil unrest, made popcorn and coffee.

[RandySF]

Chicago police officers made popcorn and coffee in U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush’s office while nearby businesses were being looted, he announced at a stunning news conference alongside Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

Rush’s South Side campaign office was looted about two weeks ago during widespread civil unrest in the wake of George Floyd’s killing by Minneapolis police. Looters also went into a nearby plaza of businesses, he said.

Rush said he got a call that his campaign offices at 54th Street and South Wentworth Avenue had been burglarized, and there was video of eight or more police officers “lounging in my office” as looters were in the shopping center nearby.

Rush looked at the video and saw eight or more cops, including three supervisors, with their feet up on desks, he said.



https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-chicago-police-looting-popcorn-20200611-je3afw3lxbhknicv37ijnncgkq-story.html

[soothsayer]

1. Funny, drumpf just mentioned Chicago cops

[The Magistrate]

2. Worth Noting, Sir, Rep. Rush Is Alive Today

Only because he did not go home one night, and that was the night a murder squad from the Chicago Police Department came to kill Fred Hampton and the rest of the Chicago Black Panthers, in an attack authorized by the state's attorney, 'Mad Dog' Eddie Hanrahan.

This was towards the end of 1969. There had been a gunfight between Panthers and the police a month before, that killed two officers. The raid on the Panther headquarters and all-around pad was straight vengeance. Police opened fire on entry, the only shot gotten off by a Panther was fired up into the ceiling as he died. The people who weren't killed but only wounded were beaten and indicted for various felonies, charges eventually dropped. Civil suits brought a couple of millions in judgements against the police. There's no doubt at all about the course of events, it was clear what had happened within days, and it has been exhaustively investigated.

[Bradshaw3]

4. Stanley Nelson's 2015 doc on the Panthers told the story

Watched it again last night. What happened to Fred Hampton was totally criminal and there should be a grand jury convened, just like they've done with cases against the Klan in the south.

You are right, he was flat out murdered for revenge. But it was with Hoover and the FBI's help that laid the groundwork because Hoover was afraid Hampton was going to become that black "messiah" he was so afraid was going to unite different races and classes into a force that could topple the racist and economic eltices running the country. Even at age 20, Hampton was already starting to make that happen in Chicago. Hoover is another racist asshole whose name should be removed.

[Trailrider1951]

6. Thank you for posting this

This is absolutely correct. I wish I could rec your post a million times.

[Bradshaw3]

7. Thank you

I have a feeling you, like me, were around at that time. The powers that be got away with lying to the public so many times (as shown in the doc the FBI put out memos to field offices saying that the Cointelpro program they used to destroy the Panthers should never be made public) that it just destroyed people's faith in government.

[SharonClark]

3. I hope he files a complaint against them for

looting his office. They should be fired for dereliction of duty.

[Demovictory9]

5. Who polices the cops when the cops are criminals

[uponit7771]

8. +1

[DFW]

9. Another great idea that will probably never happen

Certification to become a police officer.

Nothing like a license to practice medicine or law, but at least something that certifies you have been tested for a basic understanding of your job, the law where you work, and signed pledge to honor a standard of decency. Nothing that says you can't use a weapon to defend yourself or innocents, but a basic promise that you know the difference between right and wrong, and can lose your right to work the job if you take action that indicates your certification is no longer valid. Does the FOP fear losing members if steroid addiction, Klan membership or PTSD become grounds for losing a job that requires you to carry a gun?

"The FOP also is certain to vehemently oppose any efforts to force Chicago officers to maintain state certification requirements that could expose members to losing their jobs if they can’t meet the standards."

Yeah, why should cops be forced to adhere to the same standards as judges, doctors, lawyers or even meat inspectors? I mean just because they all carry lethal weapons with them, and all..........