June 20th 2023.
On June 15th, the Chicago Police Board released a 31-page ruling that resulted in the firing of Sgt. Alex Wolinski of the Chicago Police Department. The ruling declared that Sgt. Wolinski was responsible for multiple rule violations and a failure of leadership during a botched police raid of Anjanette Young, a black woman who had been wrongfully entered into her home and handcuffed naked.
The incident occurred in 2019 when police entered Young’s home on a no-knock warrant in search of a man who allegedly had an illegal gun. However, they had entered the wrong address. Calls from city leaders and Black clergymen soon followed, urging that the sergeant be forced to step down. Young was forced to remain nude as she was put into handcuffs and a covering placed over her repeatedly fell off, leaving her surrounded by a squad of police officers while handcuffed naked until she was allowed to dress herself.
The ruling indicated Wolinski’s negligence towards the respect and fair treatment of individuals. As the Chicago Sun-Times reported, the ruling stated, “Though it was clear that the officers were not at the residence of the intended target, [Wolinski] nonetheless allowed Ms. Young to remain naked and handcuffed for an extended period of time — over 10 minutes.”
Due to the egregious incident, Wolinski, a member of the Chicago police for over 20 years, was cited for breaking eight departmental regulations, including disobedience of an order and disrespect to or maltreatment of any person. Young eventually sued the city for civil rights violations, receiving a settlement of $2.9 million.
In the fall of 2022, a committee within the Chicago City Council failed to pass an ordinance named after Young that would have extended precautionary measures surrounding warrants, prioritizing the “least intrusive” methods first in planning. Young commented on the sergeant’s termination, sharing that the decision should have been unanimous given the treatment she endured, “While my heart goes out to his family because they now suffer the consequences of his abhorrent misconduct, I wish all eight members of the Chicago Police Board would have recognized the need and urgency for Sergeant Wolinski’s removal.”
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