Eddie Johnson is out.
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson was set to retire from his position in just a few weeks but due to “a series ethical lapses” Eddie has been fired from his position, NBC reports. Eddie is known for being just one the very loud voices who challenged Jussie Smollett’s innocence in his racist and homophobic attack but he will no longer play a role in the case since he has been let go.
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Chicago’s Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the news detailing how Eddie’s “intolerable” practices led to her decision. “Eddie Johnson intentionally lied to me several times even when I challenged him about the narrative that he shared with me,” she explained at a press release. “He maintained that he was telling the truth. I now know definitively that he was not.”
According to the publication, a police ficer called 911 after Eddie was found asleep at the wheel one night around midnight. A breathalyzer was not conducted but Eddie allegedly admitted that he had a couple drinks that night. Mayor Lightfoot was asked for more details on what exactly Eddie did to make her not trust him, but she declined to share more information.
“I don’t feel like it is appropriate or fair to Mr. Johnson’s wife or children to do so at this time,” she said adding how video evidence “makes it clear that the only choice that I had to take was the one that I’ve taken. There’s no gray area here.”