Sergeant Files Whistleblower Lawsuit Against Chicago Police Department
CHICAGO (CBS)-- "Always tell the truth," are the words of a Chicago police sergeant who said he is being "punished" for telling the truth about an officer-involved shooting.
When off-duty Sergeant Khalil Muhammad fired shots at Ricardo Hayes, 18, in August of 2017, wounding him twice, Muhammad told the 911 operator he had no choice and he "had to shoot."
But, Sergeant Issac Lambert, investigating the shooting, saw it differently. He believes, and video shows, Hayes running from Sgt. Muhammad.
"I didn't feel as though the shooting the way the department wanted to portray it was correct and accurate," Lambert said.
Lambert says his superiors wanted him to approve a final detective report that called Muhammad the victim and Hayes the offender.
Lambert has now filed a lawsuit against the city.
"Always tell the truth," he said. "Always do what's right."
Lambert says his bosses have retaliated, moving him from the coveted detective division to patrol.
"This is the form retaliation takes, that's being transferred out of a job he loved, being a detective, where he had been for nine years, back to the patrol division which is viewed by every as a step backwards," Torreya Hamilton, Lambert's attorney said.
Lambert has filed a lawsuit against the department. He believes he'll pay a price for taking his employer to court.
"A lot of people are not going to touch me," he said. "They're going to look at me in a different way because a lot of people are afraid to speak up in this department."
Lambert is seeking $50,000. A police spokesman said because it's a city holiday, a response to the lawsuit might not come until later this week.
