Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson Fired by Mayor for Allegedly Lying

Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson speaks during a press conference at CPD headquarters in Chicago, Illinois on Feb. 21, 2019. Ashlee Rezin/Chicago Sun-Times via AP

Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson was fired Monday by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who accused him of being dishonest.

“It has become clear that Mr. Johnson engaged in a series of ethical lapses that are intolerable,” Lightfoot wrote in a statement. “Mr. Johnson was intentionally dishonest with me and communicated a narrative replete with false statements regarding material aspects of the incident that happened in the early morning hours of Oct. 17.” In that incident, Johnson was found asleep in his vehicle near his home in Bridgeport.

“Had I known all the facts at the time, I would have relieved him of his duties as superintendent then and there,” she said.

Johnson previously stated that he neglected to take prescribed medication and became lightheaded before pulling over. According to ABC7, Lightfoot said that “Eddie Johnson intentionally lied to me several times” after an investigation found that he had been drinking with several friends.

A witness who had spotted Johnson slumped over in his SUV called 911 to report that someone was sleeping at a stop sign, CBS Chicago reported. Police who responded to the scene found no signs of impairment and allowed him to drive home.

The mayor said Monday that the investigation found that Johnson “has misled the people of Chicago” and the more than 13,000 “sworn and civilian members” of the city’s police force.

“Even when I challenged him about the narrative he shared with me, he maintained that he was telling the truth. I now know definitively that he was not. Had I known these facts at the time, I would have relieved him of his duties as superintendent then and there. I certainly would not have participated in a celebratory press conference to announce his retirement,” she was quoted by ABC7 as saying.

Lori Lightfoot watches the presentation of colors at her inauguration ceremony at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois on May 20, 2019. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images

Lightfoot didn’t go into detail about the incident that led to his termination, saying it would be unfair to his wife and children, the station reported.

“He was not caught off-guard, and he had plenty of time to choose his words, and the choice he made was to communicate a narrative replete with false statements, all seemingly intended to hide the true nature of his conduct from the evening before,” Lightfoot said, CBS Chicago reported.

Johnson announced on Nov. 7 that he would retire after serving on the Chicago police force for 31 years.

Charlie Beck, who was appointed by Lightfoot last month, was named as the city’s new interim police superintendent.