(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Chicago Aldermen are considering even tighter restrictions on police searches as Anjanette Young’s lawsuit against the city for a wrongful police raid moves through the courts.
An ordinance named Young would, among other things, require at least 30 seconds between the time police executing a search warrant knock and the time they break in a door.
And co-sponsoring Ald. Sophia King said it also would restrict circumstances when guns can be pointed at children in a home.
Ald. Matt Martin asked why pointing guns at children couldn’t be flatly banned. But Chief of Patrol Brian McDermott said you can’t anticipate every circumstance.
He said there could be situations in which a young person is not listening to police officers and might be reaching for something. If it’s a gun, that would present a danger to officers, McDermott said.
The Council’s Public Safety Committee is trying to work through such issues.
The lead sponsor of the measure, Ald. Maria Hadden, said in too many instances officers have waited almost no time, making it practically a “no knock” raid, which is banned in most cases.
But Public Safety Committee Chair Ald. Chris Taliaferro, who’s a former cop, says he has problems with that. He said too long a delay could allow criminals to destroy evidence or prepare to commit violence against officers.
Young’s home was mistakenly raided by police officers, and she was subjected to a humiliating ordeal as she was made to stand naked in front of male officers.
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