Thursday, September 1, 2016

U.S. Rep. Rush complains of racial profiling via Chicago police, sources say

U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush has filed a complaint asserting he turned into racially profiled by using Chicago police after two officers pulled him over whereas using on the South aspect in August, in accordance with police sources and metropolis statistics.

according to the sources, the Wentworth District officers were running plates whereas on patrol on Aug. 4 as a result of a rash of car thefts within the Bronzeville nearby.

The officers ran the plate on Rush's Lexus and had been advised it became registered to a Cadillac, the sources said. The officers then stopped Rush presently before three p.m. within the 4700 block of South King drive, in accordance with the sources and metropolis facts obtained by way of the Tribune through a Freedom of counsel Act request.

Rush, 69, changed into let go and not using a ticket being issued.

About an hour later, Rush filed a grievance in regards to the alleged racial profiling with the impartial Police evaluation Authority, the city company that investigates extra serious allegations of police misconduct, in line with the statistics. An IPRA supervisor reviewed the grievance here day, and on Aug. 8, the matter became transferred to the Police branch's Bureau of inner Affairs, according to the data.

The Chicago Democrat drives a maroon Lexus SUV with an Illinois registration code of "1." The words "U.S. Congressman" are displayed below the "1" in smaller letters.

in keeping with Illinois Secretary of State information, an extra "1" vanity plate is registered to a 2016 Cadillac owned through a person who lives in the close North local.

Anthony Guglielmi, the Police department's chief spokesman, proven that officers made a site visitors cease on that date and at that location, but he declined to identify Rush because the driver.

"We take the allegations very seriously," Guglielmi said. "We do have an interior affairs investigation, and we are able to do a extremely methodical assessment of the facts, including the body camera pictures and interviews with the complainant."

The police sources defended the officers' conduct, announcing at least certainly one of them wore a physique digital camera outfitted with both video and audio that captured the cease.

Police officials, citing a new state law, talked about the Tribune could be capable of obtain the camera pictures best if Rush gave permission for its unlock.

but efforts through the Tribune to contact Rush were unsuccessful. The Tribune sent repeated emails to proper Rush staffers in quest of to interview the congressman about his racial profiling allegations. A reporter also attempted to interview him at his South aspect domestic, however Rush despatched him away, telling him to contact his staff to prepare an interview. but persevered requests to his aides went unanswered.

Rush makes use of taxpayer greenbacks from his congressional workplace budget to pay well-nigh $1,000 a month to Lexus economic services for an automobile hire, government records reveal. The model is not certain in those information.

The onetime co-founding father of the Illinois Black Panther celebration has been in Congress on account that 1993, representing elements of the South aspect and cook and will counties. He was a Chicago alderman for a decade before that. He misplaced a race for Chicago mayor in 1999.

An ordained Baptist minister, Rush handily defeated Barack Obama in a main challenge for the congressional seat in 2000, Obama's handiest electoral loss.

jgorner@chicagotribune.com

kskiba@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @JeremyGorner

Twitter @KatherineSkiba

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