The Chicago Independent Police Review Authority has been around since 2007.  In that time, the city has paid out an estimated $500 million in excessive force claims.And in that time not a single police officer has been recommended for termination.  Until now.

In an 8-0 vote, the Chicago Police Board voted at its monthly meeting to dismiss Officer Francisco “Frank” Perez for the 2011 shooting outside a Mexican restaurant in the East Ukrainian Village neighborhood. One board member, John O’Malley, did not vote because he’s new to the board.

About freaking time!

The marksman

Yeah, I’m not surprised he’s wearing glasses either

The incident in question occurred in 2011 and involved the officer firing into a vehicle 16 times.  The vehicle he fired into, a blue Chrysler 300, was allegedly mistaken by the officer for a red Mitsubishi Galant.  His defense was that he could not distinguish between the two vehicles   Fortunately video evidence disproved his claims that he thought he was firing at the red Mitsubishi.

Meanwhile, his attorney Daniel Herbert, described his client as a hero and dismissed the allegations against him as preposterous.

He was not terminated for lying to investigators and has the right to appeal his termination.  In all likelihood, and based on the length of the investigation, his appeal will take long enough to earn him a taxpayer-funded retirement.