For three years, Maurice Granton Sr. has sought justice for his son Maurice Granton Jr., who was fatally shot by Chicago police officers in 2018.
In December, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability finished its investigation of the shooting and sent recommendations to the police department.
Granton has yet to hear from the city about whether the officers will be disciplined or charged.
“They preach transparency, but they are just as transparent as this cement wall.” Granton said Monday standing outside City Hall.
Granton wanted to meet Monday with someone from the city’s law department.
Instead, Granton and William Calloway, a community organizer and activist who has been helping Granton since his 24-year-old son was shot in 2018, held a news conference on Randolph Street where they hoped to pressure the city for some answers.
“In my time of organizing and activism, especially when it involves police-involved shootings, I’ve never really seen that before,” Calloway said. “Typically, when COPA makes a recommendation, the superintendent has up to 60 days, possibly a 90-day extension, to agree or disagree. But here we are.”
Granton is unsure of what steps he can take to learn more about the investigation. In February, Mayor Lori Lightfoot released a police misconduct executive order, which allows people filing complaints with COPA to have access to videos and files without having to file Freedom of Information Act FOIA requests.
The Chicago Law Department did not respond to emails and phone calls for comment. CPD said it was unable to make any statements at this time.
“[Lightfoot] needs to stand true to that and she needs to put that into practice,” Calloway said. “This is the perfect time.”
“We’ve done everything,” Granton said. “We’ve been patient. My patience has run out. I don’t know what else to do. I need help from somebody. We need answers.”
COPA spokesperson Ephraim Eaddy said in a Monday statement to the Chicago Sun-Times that COPA supports Granton’s request for further information and that they have been giving him regular updates, but they were prohibited by municipal ordinance from “making public its Summary Report of Investigations” until the involved officers “have been formally served with the recommended disciplinary charges.”
