Weis Addresses Teen Cop Investigation

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Mar 3, 2009 10:00PM

Days after the final report on The Vincent Richardson Affair was turned in, Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis finally addressed the media. In all, seven officers are charged with rule violations as a result of 14-year-old Richardson successfully fooling everyone and masquerading as a cop for a few hours. The punishment for the seven could range from a verbal warning all the way up to a firing, but that won't be determined until after another investigation is completed. Said Weis, "That an individual was able to impersonate a police officer for an extended period of time is both angering and a deep cause for concern. This is an issue of safety, both for the officers as well as the public."

As to what Richardson actually did between 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. that fateful day he was impersonating an officer, Weis said he drove a police car for two hours and he handcuffed a suspect in a domestic arrest. Richardson didn't have a ticket nor did he issue tickets, according to Weis, but he did have access to the in-car computers. Weis confirmed the seven officers under investigation have undergone re-training.