From [HERE] The white Chicago cop who shot and killed Anthony Alvarez during a foot chase last year was suspended Thursday for 20 days after Supt. David Brown successfully beat back a recommendation from the city’s police oversight agency that sought his dismissal. Brown is a Black Strawboss.

Officer Evan Solano fired five shots as he pursued Alvarez through the Portage Park neighborhood early on March 31, 2021, striking the 22-year-old in the back and thigh after he ignored orders to drop a handgun. The cop claimed that he appeared to turn his body. Alvarez’s death came just two days after 13-year-old Adam Toledo was fatally shot by Officer Eric Stillman during another foot chase in Little Village.

The shootings prompted outrage and pushed department leaders to urgently develop its first foot-pursuit policy. Despite the scrutiny, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx announced in March that her office found no evidence to support criminal charges against the officers involved in either shooting. Foxx is also a Black Strawboss working on behalf of the system of racism white supremacy.

Solano’s case is the first to be heard by the Chicago Police Board, which decides serious disciplinary matters. 

Board member Steven Block wrote in a 31-page ruling that Solano’s use of force was “objectively reasonable, necessary, and proportional in order to ensure his own safety and the safety of his partner.” He announced his findings during Thursday’s board meeting.

Block was tapped to decide whether to uphold Brown’s recommendation to suspend Solano for 20 days or to set in motion disciplinary proceedings that could lead to his dismissal, as was recommended by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability. COPA held that Solano broke six departmental rules, including for disregarding his training for starting and continuing foot pursuits and violating a general order dealing with officers’ use of force.

But Block said the evidence supporting those allegations was “legally insufficient” and noted that Solano’s actions were “objectively reasonable based on the totality of the circumstances.” The only allegations against Solano that were sustained stemmed from his failure to activate his body-worn camera in a timely manner, properly load his gun and notify dispatchers of the pursuit.

Solano’s partner, Sammy Encarnacion, was also handed down a 20-day suspension for violating those same rules. His other charges, for improperly starting and continuing the chase, weren’t sustained.

Alvarez’s family said they were “appalled” by Block’s ruling, which they claimed “marks a continuation of the City of Chicago’s complicity in a loss of human life due to CPD’s decadeslong failure to enact a meaningful foot-pursuit policy.”

“Today’s decision is not only a gut-punch to the Alvarez family, but it perpetuates the message that encounters with the Chicago Police Department remain potentially lethal,” the family said. “As is too often the case, it is our Communities of Color that are most vulnerable to victimization during these encounters.”

During Thursday’s meeting, Andrea Kersten, COPA’s chief administrator, said her agency stands by its “thorough investigation, its analysis and findings.” She called for a full evidentiary hearing for every incident that “results in the death of someone at the hands of law enforcement.”

“This is not about winning or losing, but facts, evidence and testimony being presented to the full police board before a final decision is determined,” she said. “We respect the process but strongly disagree with the final decision put forth by the one-member review.”

During the pursuit, Solano claimed he saw Alvarez holding a gun in the 5200 block of West Eddy Street and ordered him to drop it. Then Solano opened fire.

Solano told COPA investigators he opened fire after Alvarez looked over his shoulder, fearing Alvarez was turning around to shoot him and his partner. Video surveillance footage showed Alvarez was holding a gun in front of him when the shots rang out, Block said. [whether he posed a threat is not even part of the analysis here by these white “journalists” drunk off racism white supremacy (mind blocked by a mind-virus). They simply seek to justify murder and uphold authority regardless of the circumstances - observe whenever they write and talk about incidents involving non-white people harmed by cops. White prosecutors and the white media (and their Black servant rolebots) are especially ager and programmed to believe anything foul cops say about Latinos and Blacks.  Why would a cop make anything up? Because they will believe it. They want to be deceived and will rationalize away to justify their projections]

“The Alvarez family will continue to seek justice for Anthony and other young Black and Brown men who have been killed by police officers due to CPD’s failure to implement a meaningful foot-pursuit policy,” the family said, “and to allow undisciplined and unqualified police officers to remain on the force.”

They said Block’s decision is “particularly galling” given that Solano was later caught on video brandishing a gun during a road rage incident in Logan Square in May 2021, as Block Club Chicago first reported. [MORE]