12 SWAT officers suspended after December standoff

A dozen Chicago Police SWAT team officers were suspended after they failed to fully clear a house following an hourslong standoff on the South Side last year.

On Dec. 1, 2016, South Chicago District Cmdr. Noel Sanchez was shot at as he was driving in the 8800 block of South Saginaw about 10:20 p.m., police previously said.

A SWAT team was called after Sanchez saw someone run into a nearby house, and a five-hour standoff ensued, police said.

After three men were arrested and two guns were recovered, SWAT officers went inside to clear the home. After they left, officers from the South Chicago District went into the home and found two more men hiding in a crawl space, according to FOX 32 News.

The SWAT officers who searched the home were suspended without pay for one day, the station reported.

In an emailed statement Thursday night, Chicago Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said: “SWAT is among the most highly trained, specialized unit within CPD and they are nationally recognized for their precision and tactical execution of high-valued operations. The officers received appropriate discipline for their actions and the Special Functions Division will ensure appropriate retraining for officers.”

Within a week of the shots fired at Sanchez, three other Chicago Police officers were shot at across the city. None was injured.