Eddie Johnson, the superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, announced his retirement on Nov. 7 after working for 31 years with the police.
“It’s time for someone else to pin these four stars to their shoulders. These stars can sometimes feel like carrying the weight of the world. But I’m confident that I leave CPD better,” Johnson said at a press conference, “This job has taken its toll—taken a toll on my health, my family, my friends. But my integrity remains intact,” reported USA Today.
The announcement comes weeks after Johnson was discovered asleep behind the wheel of his vehicle while stopped at a stop sign. Johnson was said to have had “a couple of drinks with dinner,” according to Mayor Lori Lightfoot, as reported by the Chicago Suntimes. However, Johnson says that the decision to retire has nothing to do with this incident.
He is currently under an investigation, that he requested upon himself, for the incident.
“I know what the superintendent told me, which is that he was … changing medication … He’d been out to dinner with some folks,” said Lightfoot, “he told me he was driving home. He felt ill and pulled over to the side of the road, which he believed was the prudent thing to do … IAD will sort out the rest.”
She was then asked if she believes Johnson’s story.
“I have no reason to doubt [it]. We know he’s had some medical issues. He’s on the other side of a kidney [transplant] operation, which is obviously very, very serious. There have been some issues with high blood pressure and so forth,” she answered.
“When I take medication, sometimes it has side effects. I know from my parents. So, I take him at his word. The investigation will sort out the details. … We’ll see what happens.”
Also recently, President Donald Trump has called out Johnson on Twitter, and during a police chief’s conference, “There is one person who is not here today,” said the president during the conference, “Where is he? I want to talk to him. In fact, more than anyone else, this person should be here because maybe he could learn something, and that’s the superintendent of the Chicago Police, Eddie Johnson.”
The Fraternal Order of Police was angered at Johnson’s decision to boycott the event, writing in a Facebook post that, “such a gesture would be an insult to both President Trump and the office of the presidency itself and would be a mark of disgrace upon the city throughout the entire nation, including Mayor Lori Lightfoot.”
During the speech, Trump also called out Jessie Smollet’s case, which happened under Johnson’s supervision.
“You have the case of this wise guy Jessie Smollett … and he said MAGA country did it,” Trump said, “It’s a real big scam, just like the impeachment of your president is a scam,” reported the Associated Press.