CPD lieutenant relieved of police powers after shocking confrontation caught on camera

CHICAGO – A Chicago police lieutenant has been relieved of his police powers after a shocking confrontation was caught on camera.

FOX 32’s Tia Ewing talked with the man who recorded it. He doesn’t want his name published out of fear of retaliation because this isn’t the first time this officer has been accused of wrongdoing.

The officer was off duty at the time of the incident, which occurred on July 12, and the video captured a racial slur being hurled during the heated argument.

In the video, a man in a blue shirt can be heard using the N-word. On the same night, the man in blue got into another altercation with someone else on a downtown Chicago rooftop. In that second incident, the person he was arguing with identified him as a police officer.

Behind the cellphone recording was Raheem. He confronted the man in blue on the spot. Days later, Raheem posted the video on Instagram, garnering thousands of views and an investigation.

“I really didn’t know how to react because it’s like, I know they the police and he’s not talking to me, but it’s still affecting me. So it had me feeling in a weird position, like I’m upset and I don’t know how to direct my anger,” Raheem said.

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is investigating both the incident and Lt. Andrew Dakuras, who is a 29-year veteran of the police force. On July 16, he was relieved of his police powers pending the outcome of the investigation by the Chicago Police Department.

“They need to actually pay attention to the complaints made. Pay attention to the officers they have. These are the people that are arresting our communities,” Raheem said.

And it’s not the first time Dakuras has been in the headlines.

In 2021, a federal jury found that Dakuras used excessive force when a man was tackled and beaten during the Chicago Cubs’ World Series celebration in 2016. The man was awarded $53,000. At that time, Dakuras had 73 complaints against him.

Dakuras’ police history hasn’t all been marred by turmoil. In 2019, video shows he was honored alongside two other officers for rescuing a woman who was under attack.