CHICAGO — A Chicago police officer has been arrested in connection with an alleged off-duty shooting this fall on the Southwest Side.
Joseph Cabrera, 38, was charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm and official misconduct, both felonies, for an Oct. 13 shooting near 52nd Street and Monitor Avenue, where he lives, according to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.
The charges stem, in part, from alleged false statements he made to investigators about the shooting, according to the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, which investigates allegations of misconduct against officers, Chicago Tribune reported. No one was hurt in the shooting.
Cabrera has been a Chicago police officer since 2012. He is scheduled to appear for a bond hearing Wednesday afternoon at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.
CPD said Cabrera was arrested at 6 a.m. by the department’s Bureau of Internal Affairs.
“The officer has been relieved of his police powers and could face additional disciplinary actions pending the outcome of the criminal and (COPA) investigations,” the department said in a statement.
Per the city’s video release policy for police-involved shooting incidents, video evidence of the shooting was slated to be released Dec. 10, right before the city’s 60-day deadline to publicize such footage. But Cook County prosecutors requested a 30-day extension, which was approved by the city’s Law Department, the Tribune reported.
