The Chicago Police Department has opened an investigation into whether a man wearing a police uniform during a Palestinian demonstration against Israel’s actions in Gaza violated department policy, a spokesperson said Thursday.
The spokesperson wouldn’t confirm the identity of the man in photos taken by Chicago Sun-Times photographer Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere during the march Wednesday afternoon in the Loop. LaRiviere posted pictures of the man on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter.
The man chanted “Free, Free Palestine,” waving a Palestinian flag and a police flag, LaRiviere said.
The man was wearing a Chicago police uniform with a badge number that belongs to a 23-year police veteran who’s been on unpaid leave of absence since January, according to the police spokesperson, who wouldn’t say why he was listed as being “inactive.”
The officer, 52, declined to comment.
On his Facebook page, the officer urged people to show up at Wednesday’s protest, which began at the federal plaza at Adams and Dearborn streets. He also reposted a flyer from the Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine that read, “Stop the genocide in Gaza!” Thousands of protesters marched through the Loop in the peaceful demonstration.
The Sun-Times isn’t naming the officer because police officials wouldn’t confirm he’s the man in the photos, and he hasn’t been officially accused of misconduct.
John Catanzara, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said he was unaware the police department had started an investigation.
In 2021, Catanzara retired as a police officer instead of facing a disciplinary hearing over a variety of allegations, including that he’d made political statements while in uniform. In a 2017 photo he reposted from social media, Catanzara wore a uniform and stood next to a police car as he held an American flag. The caption on the post said: “Rahm Free City 2019 Make Chicago Great Again Drain the City Hall Swamp #MAGA.”
According to a police department policy called “Department Member Political Activity,” the department “will not prohibit a sworn member from, or discriminate against, his or her engaging in political activities or campaigning while off duty.”
But in doing so, officers aren’t allowed to:
- “Wear a uniform or any part thereof that would identify the individual as a Chicago police officer.”
- “Use property (including facilities, vehicles, equipment, records, documents, video recordings, audio recordings, or photographs) of the Chicago Police Department.”
- “Display or lead others to believe he or she is carrying a badge, baton, or gun.”
- “Hold himself/herself out as a Chicago police officer.”
