Chicago Police Boss Moves To Fire Cops Who Shot Man On Red Line

CHICAGO — Police Supt. David Brown wants to fire two police officers who shot a man at a CTU Red Line stop last year.

Officers Melvina Bogard and Bernard Butler were cited for violating several police department rules including engaging in unjustified verbal or physical altercations, discrediting the department, incompetency or inefficiency performing duties and disrespecting or mistreating a person.

Bogard was cited with unlawful or unnecessary use or display of a weapon and failing to cooperate with the investigation into the Feb. 28, 2020 incident when she shot Ariel Roman at the Grand Avenue Red Line stop at the urging of Butler. A passerby captured the incident on video and posted it on Twitter.

The administrative charges against Bogard and Butler come on the heels of a federal criminal investigation into the shooting. Roman was ordered to appear before a federal grand jury earlier this year, the Sun-Times reported.

The initial police report on the shooting includes a narrative that described the police officers as victims and skipped over the part where Bogard shot Roman twice. The official police narrative describes what happened this way: "The offender was subsequently placed in custody and transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for injuries he received during the physical altercation with the victim officers."

MORE ON PATCH: Police Narrative Doesn't Mention Cop Shot Man At Red Line Station

Roman was shot twice after being stopped for moving between CTA train cars, a municipal code violation. Following the shooting, Roman was arrested for drug possession. Then interim police Supt. Charlie Beck asked Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx to drop all charges against Roman, who has a pending civil lawsuit against the city.

The Chicago Police Board will hold a hearing to decide whether to fire Bogard and Butler.