Chicago Police Sergeant Relieved Of Powers After She Was Arrested On Charges Of Drunkenly Hitting Gaming Officer At Horseshoe Hammond Casino
HAMMOND, Ind. (CBS) -- A Chicago Police sergeant has been relieved of her duties after an incident in the fall where she was arrested on charges of striking an Indiana Gaming Commission officer at the Horseshoe Hammond Casino in Northwest Indiana.
Lori Cooper was charged with simple assault and disorderly conduct in the Oct. 30 incident.
A police report obtained by CBS 2 said around 4 a.m. Oct. 30, the casino contacted Hammond police saying two women were in the restroom intoxicated and one of them, Cooper, had battered a casino worker. The casino worker told a Hammond police officer she did not want to seek charges, the police report said.
Cooper and the woman who was with her were then ordered to leave the casino, the police report said. They began walking toward the exit after being told multiple times that they had to leave, and started fighting with each other while doing so, the police report said.
The responding Hammond police officer reported that he assisted the women toward the exit, and worked for about an hour to try to make arrangements to get them home safe. The report said Cooper was "aggressive and argumentative" the whole time – and also got into a fighting stance and balled her fist as if she were about to punch the officer.
At that point, an Indiana Gaming Commission officer who had been on duty at the casino arrived on the scene to assist, the police report said. The responding Hammond officer said he saw Cooper hit a Gaming Commission officer in the chest with an open fist, the police report said.
A prosecutor's proffer added that Cooper also pushed the Gaming Commission officer backwards before he and the Hammond officer finally handcuffed and arrested her.
The proffer added that the Hammond officer's body camera video footage showed that Cooper appeared to be intoxicated and her attitude was "angry, insulting, and uncooperative."
She also repeatedly removed her mask after being told multiple times by casino security and employees that she had to wear it, the proffer said.
CBS 2 has confirmed that Cooper is a Chicago Police sergeant.
Chicago Police News Affairs released the following statement: "An internal investigation into this incident has been opened. The Department member involved in this matter has been relieved of police powers pending the outcome of the investigation."
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