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Two officers who lied about the fatal shooting of a 25-year-old man now face dismissal more than 12 years after the deadly encounter, which has already cost the city millions of dollars in a lawsuit.
Chicago Police Supt. David Brown filed disciplinary charges with the Chicago Police Board on Oct. 28, alleging officers Armando Ugarte and Michael St. Clair II made repeated false statements about the July 8, 2010, shooting death of William Hope Jr.
None of the allegations directly address whether the shooting was justified, and an attorney for Hope’s family said, “No. 1 priority in relation to this incident.”
“They should be held accountable for lying,” attorney Mark Partz said of the officials. “But here, the real human issue is that a man was shot and killed for no reason.”
A federal jury awarded Hope’s family $4.6 million after the parts firm filed suit against the city and the two officers, ordering them to pay $10,000 of their own money in punitive damages and participate in a police training scenario based on the case.
A shifting narrative
According to testimony and disciplinary charges in the case, 111 W. 75th St. Ugarte pulled in front of Hope that summer while Hope was behind the wheel of a Pontiac Grand Am in the parking lot of a Popeyes restaurant in .
Ugarte and St. Clair said they saw a roll of cash in the center console and a cellphone, and testified they asked for Hope’s driver’s license and phone. They claimed Hope tried to drive away after returning the items.
Ugarte reached through the window to gain control of the car and St. Clair fired four shots, killing Hope, according to the officers’ account. They claimed that Ugarte was stuck in the window and feared for his life, and that Hope had armed his car.
Witnesses disputed those key claims, saying the car was not going faster than 3 mph and that Ugarte was not in serious danger. A law enforcement expert said there was no reason to detain Hope.
The Chicago Tribune reported that former Deputy Police Chief Dana Alexander initially reported that Hope tried to drive away when Ugarte tried to reach into the Grand Am to turn off the engine. Alexander said Ugarta was hit and dragged, prompting St. Clair to open fire.
But Brown’s indictment alleges that both officers lied to officers and falsely testified in the civil case about where Ugarte was when the shots rang out.
Ugarte falsely claimed he was trapped at the time, with his upper body still in the car, Brown said. St. Clair repeatedly lied that Ugarte remained in the car until after the shooting, Brown said.
With the officers now facing layoffs, the police board will hold evidence before ruling on their cases. A status hearing is set for Dec. 19.
Max Caproni, the board’s executive director, said documents identifying the officers’ attorneys had not been filed.
‘You lie, you die’
Each charge alleges the officers violated rules against defaming the police department and making false reports. Officials found to have violated the latter rule are usually dismissed because such violation undermines their credibility.
When Mayor Lori Lightfoot was president of the police board in 2016, she told WBEZ the violation was “known as the “You Lie, You Die” rule.”
But last month it was revealed that officer Robert Bakker would not be fired despite lying about his close ties to the far-right Proud Boys. Lightfoot and Brown defended the decision to suspend Bakker for 120 days — a sentence imposed without police officials evaluating whether he violated a law prohibiting false statements.
Inspector General Deborah Wittsburg said the decision set a dangerous precedent.
“The outcome of this case represents a determination that a man who made ‘false’ and ‘ironic’ statements about his affiliation with the Proud Boys should continue to wear the uniform of the Chicago Police Department,” Wittsburg told the Sun-Times.
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