A Chicago Police Department recruit was taken into custody after another recruit found bags of real crack cocaine in his pants pocket during a narcotics arrest training scenario, according to an internal report reviewed by CWBChicago.
Upon being confronted about the eight baggies of crack found in his cargo pants pocket, the 24-year-old allegedly replied, “These aren’t my pants.”
According to the report, around 10:30 a.m. Monday, a trainer gave the recruit a small baggie decorated with blue stars that contained simulated heroin for “scenario based training involving narcotics related offenses.”
Another recruit was instructed to perform a custodial search while the trainer observed and critiqued his performance, the report said.
While searching the subject’s cargo pants, the recruit conducting the search found a clear knotted baggie containing four small zip baggies decorated with green dollar signs, each containing suspected crack cocaine, according to the report.
Knowing that the phony drugs provided for training were in a blue-starred baggie, the trainer asked the trainee what the knotted baggie contained.
“That’s nothing, that’s just garbage,” the recruit allegedly replied.
Pressed for an answer, the recruit allegedly claimed, “These aren’t my pants. They belong to my brother, he’s the police.”
The trainer took the recruit who allegedly had the crack to an operations office to notify a supervisor, according to the report, which stated the crack weighed 8 grams.
In a statement, a CPD spokesperson confirmed that a 24-year-old male recruit was taken into custody “as part of an active investigation.” An internal investigation is also underway, according to the spokesperson.
CWBChicago is not identifying the detained recruit because criminal charges have not been filed.
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