Chicago alderman, faith leaders pray for healing in aftermath of Anjanette Young raid

Faith leaders and others gathered in Englewood on Wednesday morning as public demonstrations continued in the aftermath of the botched raid by Chicago police on a social worker’s home last year.

The erroneous raid on Anjanette Young’s home — police were following a bad tip — set off a yearlong fight with the city to release footage of the incident captured by police body-worn cameras.

Ald. Stephanie Coleman (16th) said they are still working to “hold others accountable” for the “traumatic experience” Young has suffered from.

“Now it’s time to heal, and now it’s time to pray,” Coleman said.

Bishop Larry Trotter, senior pastor of the Sweet Holy Spirit Church of Chicago, said in the wake of the raid, some in his congregation have told him their fears of having their homes broken into by police officers.

“We’re very concerned that this issue with Anjanette Young has arisen some hurt in other people that live alone — not just women,” Trotter said. “Even in my case, I live alone and if 12 officers come into my house and I am just getting out the shower I couldn’t grab anything to defend myself … and to have this woman naked for 20 minutes before they put a comforter on her is an insult and a disgrace.”

“So we are going to pray for her,” he said.

Young, a social worker, was getting ready for bed and naked when nearly a dozen officers broke down her door to execute a search warrant based on a bad tip. She pleaded with the officers and told them, more than 40 times, they were in the wrong home.

Despite her pleas, she was left handcuffed and in the nude as officers searched her home.

The encounter in February 2019 came to light only this month during a CBS Channel 2 broadcast showing police body-camera video from event. The city had fought to prevent the broadcast of the video and took legal action against Young’s attorney. Though the city backed away from its request to sanction Young’s attorney, Keenan Saulter, for releasing the video, a federal judge in the case is still considering whether to do so.

In the wake of the story, the police officers involved with the raid have been assigned desk duty, several Law Department employees have been ousted, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has backed an investigation from Inspector General Joe Ferguson and assigned retired federal Judge Ann Claire Williams to conduct an additional, outside investigation into the raid.