US

Chicago Police Union President Says He Won’t Tolerate Officers Kneeling With Protesters

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The president of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police said Thursday he will not tolerate officers kneeling with George Floyd protesters.

President John Catanzara of the FOP said officers who kneel with protesters will “be risking being brought up on charges and thrown out of the lodge,” Fox 32 News reported Thursday. Catanzara became the union’s president in May.

Police have been widely criticized since Floyd died in police custody after former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, video showed. Since his death, many have called to defund police departments, or even abolish the police outright.

“Specifically, this weekend, this was about defunding and abolishing the police department. And you’re going to take a knee for that? It’s ridiculous,” Catanzara said.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was critical of Catanzara’s comments, according to Fox 32.

“I don’t really think that we should credit those kinds of really unfortunate comments, and I’m not going to dignity them with any further response,” Lightfoot responded. Lightfoot is part of the United States Conference of Mayors, which has recently been calling for police reform.

Now is the time to act on licensing for police officers once and for all. pic.twitter.com/GmNrpLiwxk

— Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) June 11, 2020

Catanzara was criticized in 2017 for posting a picture in uniform of his support for President Donald Trump, according to Fox 35. The FOP did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

Chicago police officers may still be police officers if “thrown out” of the FOP, but won’t be allowed benefits the FOP offers, Fox 32 reported.