COPA ends probe into officer’s confrontation with lakefront dog walker

CHICAGO - The agency that oversees the Chicago Police Department has concluded its investigation into a confrontation between a police officer and a Black woman who claims she was racially profiled while walking her dog on the Lakefront in August.

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability, which investigates officer’s use of force, said Thursday it sent its findings and recommendations to Supt. David Brown, though it didn’t say what those findings were.

If COPA believes the officer should be disciplined, Brown would have 30 days to decide whether to bring administrative charges forward.

The confrontation unfolded shortly after midnight Aug. 28 at North Avenue Beach and was captured on Nikkita Brown’s cellphone camera as well as the officer’s body camera.

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The bodycam video shows the officer jump out of his vehicle to confront Brown for being in the beach area with her dog while the beach was closed. Audio from the bodycam does not start until the officer is seen stepping out of his vehicle.

At that point, Brown is captured on video with her cellphone raised as the officer approaches. The conversation quickly escalates to shouting after Brown asks the officer to "respect her space."

More words are exchanged between the two and the officer grabs at Brown’s phone and wrist and arm. Brown and the officer can be seen struggling before Brown drops her phone and the officer’s bodycam appears to fall off.

After the confrontation, which lasts roughly two minutes, the officer releases Brown and she asks him for his badge number as she walks away.

Brown’s lawyers have called the altercation with the white officer "an obvious case of racial profiling."

The officer was placed on desk duty while COPA conducted its investigation.