Drunk Off-Duty Chicago Cop Shot at Off-Duty Local Cop Trying to Pull Him Over

Charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm a year later; still with the police department

eldelfraval/flickr

A police officer in Chicago was charged today with a felony count of aggravated discharge of a firearm, nearly a year after the alleged incident, where the officer, John Gorman, off-duty and allegedly drunk, shot at a local off-duty officer in Merrionette Park, Illinois, and the driver of the pick-up truck the Marionette officer was in when he had noticed Gorman driving erratically and dangerously, and with an open container of beer in his car, and tried to pull him over.

The Chicago Sun Times reports on the incident:

The Merrionette Park cop called 911 and followed Gorman to Prospect and Pryor avenues on the Southwest Side of Chicago — about two blocks from the Morgan Park police station.

Gorman allegedly walked to the back of his Buick and aimed his gun at the pickup truck.

The driver of the pickup drove away as Gorman fired five shots, prosecutors say.

One of the bullets left a hole in the rear bumper of the pickup, but the Merrionette Park officer and the driver were not shot.

The Merrionette Park officer reported the shooting to officers at the Morgan Park station. Chicago Police officers ran the license plate of the Buick and realized it was registered to Gorman, who they contacted and arranged to meet.

Gorman showed up, admitted to firing his service weapon, and handed it over. He refused to take a breathalyzer test until being compelled by Internal Affairs five hours later. By then, he blew just under the legal limit, and was charged with a misdemeanor DWI. Gorman wasn't fired. Instead he was put on desk duty and kept his job.

The Internal Affairs complaint produced by the 2014 shooting incident was at least the 22nd misconduct complaint on Gorman's record, according to a database of the University of Chicago Law School, as reported by the Sun-Times. Most of the complaints had to do with alleged false arrests. None of them, including the shooting at the off-duty cop that earned him a felony charge this week, led to any disciplinary measures.

The city of Chicago spends approximately $1 million in taxpayer money a week settling complaints against members of the Chicago Police Department. The Chicago police superintendent, Garry McCarthy, previously claimed criminally charging cops involved in fatal shootings presented a "safety hazard"—he was referring to the prosecution, ultimately failed, of an off-duty Chicago cop who shot behind his back into a crowd of people as he drove the wrong way down a one-way street. Between 2011 and 2014 nearly 18,000 complaints against Chicago police officers were filed. Union-negotiated contracts in Chicago, and around the country, have helped produce rules that protect bad actors, causing grave damage to police-community trust and exacerbating the problem of unaccountable police violence.

Comments

[SimonJester]

Bitches fight like dogs. Story at 9.

[AlexInCT]

Is this a case of police abuse against another policeman?

[Masturbatin' Pete]

It appears so. And thus I fear that the comments here will result in a feedback loop that creates a black hole that swallows the Earth.

"That cop deserved to be treated brutally by that cop because he's a cop who treats people brutally..."

[mad.casual]

I believe the proper term is blue hole and there's no escape once you've crossed over the thin blue event horizon.

[MSimon]

Dang. A cop shooting a cop and not even an injury.

[Episiarch]

Ah, Chicago. Always trying to catch up to New York. Well, the CPD has a ways to go before they're quite as bad as the NYPD. Sorry, Chi-town.

[Crusty Juggler]

Or even the New York State Police. This story is a few years old, but if the cop was smart he would have run away, got together with his fellow cops and lawyer, and then went to the police station to blow into the breathalyzer.

[Episiarch]

Ah, Newburgh. What a shithole.

[Just say Nikki]

Bitch, please. It's the other way around. We had John Burge before it was cool.

[Episiarch]

Yeah? Well beat this: Tammany Hall.

[Crusty Juggler]

Does John Burge top the mafia cops?

[mad.casual]

I don't believe a word of it.

[SimonJester]

"He refused to take a breathalyzer test until being compelled by Internal Affairs five hours later."

This ought to be standard practice. Cop pulls you over, gets you some water, probably a couple of snacks, and, a number of hours later, asks you to take a breathalyzer. I like how this works.

We need to let those who are suspected of carrying drugs an opportunity to use the bathroom, shower, and change their clothes, too.

[R C Dean]

Standard procedure for suspected DUIs goes more like this:

(1) Suspect is asked to blow into the tube.
(2) Suspect refuses.
(3) Suspect is arrested, handcuffed, and put in the cruiser.
(4) Suspect arrives at jail.
(5) Suspect is told they will have to give a blood sample.
(6) Suspect refuses.
(7) Suspect is tied down in a special phlebotomy chair with restraints, a needle is jammed into their arm, and blood is drawn.

[sarcasmic]

Replace "Suspect" with "Peasant," then come up with a different set of steps for the king's men. Rule of man.

[MJGreen - Docile Citizen]

When do they probe the suspect's ass to check for drugs?

[SimonJester]

They have to wait for Officer Bubba to get in. He really likes doing it, and the others let him.

[Episiarch]

"The crotch is my domain!"

[Adam330]

"Chicago Police officers ran the license plate of the Buick and realized it was registered to Gorman, who they contacted and arranged to meet."

I'm sure this is how they handle all DWIs where the drunk guy is shooting his gun at people. Totally normal procedures. No special treatment.

[DEATFBIRSECIA]

Yes! Much more of this please! If they all off each other, then we can finally feel safe walking outside again.

[sarcasmic]

Union-negotiated contracts in Chicago, and around the country, have helped produce rules that protect bad actors, causing grave damage to police-community trust and exacerbating the problem of unaccountable police violence.

Depends on your point of view. From the point of view of the police, admitting that officers are in the wrong and punishing them for it erodes public trust. You can't keep power if you admit to being wrong. It is better to sweep wrongdoing under the rug and pretend it doesn't exist. That makes you trustworthy. At least from the point of view of the person with power.

[kbolino]

Depends on your point of view. From the point of view of the police, admitting that officers are in the wrong and punishing them for it erodes public trust. You can't keep power if you admit to being wrong. It is better to sweep wrongdoing under the rug and pretend it doesn't exist. That makes you trustworthy. At least from the point of view of the person with power.

From a certain perspective, they're right. But they're right in a very short-sighted manner. Eventually, the dissonance between the trust they deserve and the trust they enjoy grows too large. The end results are not pretty.

[Krabappel]

Sounds like typical Chicago gang violence.

[R C Dean]

And "aggravated discharge of a firearm"?

He fired five times, and was aiming at the truck. How is that not attempted murder?

[sarcasmic]

Passive voice.

[Citizen X]

The thin blue line doesn't go away just because some parts of it are shooting at each other.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

All you HnR bitches wanna eliminate due process for cops. They deserve all the chances civilians should get.

[Je suis Woodchipper]

Even if he didn't miss, this story would have the exact same conclusion.

[Old Man With Candy]

I'm really surprised that Nikki isn't somehow involved in this.

Or is she......?

[Princess Trigger]

The city of Chicago spends approximately $1 million in taxpayer money a week settling complaints against members of the Chicago Police Department.

That, my friends, is the price of civilization.

[BearOdinson]

So let me get this straight:
When faced with a kid with a toy gun, or a guy who has already by tased, or a guy driving AWAY in a truck, the cops fire away.

When faced with a a true threat (Gorman), the off duty cop had his driver flee. Without getting out and firing at Gorman.

Got it.

True Blue heroes always putting their lives on the line!

[R C Dean]

Good point. Two blocks from the police station, you'd think an active shooter would be blanketed with choppers, cops, snipers, the whole paramilitary thang.

Instead, he gets a polite call at home.

[The Late P Brooks]

Too bad he's not a better shot.

That coverup would have been epic.

[Jerryskids]

The Chicago police superintendent, Garry McCarthy, previously claimed criminally charging cops involved in fatal shootings presented a "safety hazard"?he was referring to the prosecution

"Nice legs you got there, Mr. Prosecutor. Sure would be a shame if something accidentally happened to them" sort of safety hazard?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Gorman was just trying to lay down a suppressing fire with the incenerators and fall back by squads to the APC.

[dantheserene]

And we saw how well that worked out.
Though now that you mention it, nuking Chicago from orbit wouldn't be a bad idea.

[Notorious UGCC]

"Chicago Police officers ran the license plate of the Buick and realized it was registered to Gorman, who they contacted and arranged to meet."

You have got to be kidding me.

"Hello, Mr. Gormon, this is the police. We've been getting complaints about you driving drunk and shooting at other cops. Could you come by at your convenience and talk about it - say Tuesday?"

"Tuesday is bad for me, it's the day I moonlight as a bus driver at the elementary school. How about Thursday?"

"OK, then, Thursday at 6, it's a date. Let's meet down by the lake, I hear its very nice this time of year."

[Copernicus would chip]

Worth noting:

The 2 persons who were shot at are never named in the story.

I am certain the person most bothered by this incident is the cop in the pickup who unknowingly got his brother cop in trouble.

[KidsCopsAndMusic]

I know a little about loud music in my backyard and i know what would have happened if the cops would have left without beating the crap out of the jerks that were playing the loud music. The cops would have been called back over and over intil everyone would have gotten a nice butt whippin. That's how it happened at my house. The problem is... i had to do the butt whippin because the cops wouldnt do it. That's not a fun situation to be in. So for you all idiots feeling sorry for the jerks that were blasting the neighbors with loud music... i would suggest keeping the mouth shut unless you know what it's like to have loud music blasting from your neighbors to the point that you cant hear yourself think. And nobody will do anything about it. Glad to see that the cops actually did something in this case instead of letting the punks run over the neighbors and the law. Yea... there was arm grabbing. There should probably have been more arm grabbing and cuff slinging. Parents... teach your kids some manners. Oh... and teach them how to talk and use a camera. Turn your music down so they can hear you.

[Hank Phillips]

I'm sure his intentions were good. I'm also sure this'll all blow over and the cop'll be acquitted of any wrongdoing. Look, the initiation of force is what they're hired to do, by BOTH parties... so anything less would be dereliction.