Eddie T. Johnson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eddie T. Johnson
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Johnson in 2016
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| 62nd Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department | |
| In office March 28, 2016 – December 2, 2019 (Interim from March 28 – April 13, 2016) |
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| Appointed by | Rahm Emanuel |
| Preceded by | John Escalante (interim) |
| Succeeded by | Charlie Beck (interim) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 28, 1960 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Children | 3 |
| Residences | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Profession |
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| Police career | |
| Current status | Terminated for cause |
| Department | Chicago Police Department |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Years of service | 1988–2019 |
| Rank | Superintendent (2016–2019) Chief of the Patrol Bureau (2012–16)  Commander, 6th District (2008-12)  |
Eddie T. Johnson (born July 28, 1960) is an American retired police officer for the Chicago Police Department. He served as the 62nd Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department from March 2016 until December 2019.
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Early life and education
Johnson was born on the Near North Side of Chicago, Illinois, in the Cabrini–Green Homes public housing complex. Johnson recalls his mother telling his father about the new neighborhood as a "Quiet place, compared to the old neighborhood" and that Johnson recalled, "Gunshots all night long" while living in Cabrini–Green. At age 10, his family relocated to the Washington Heights neighborhood. He later attended Corliss High School, graduating in 1978.
Career
Patrolman
Johnson began his career in the Chicago Police Department in 1988 as a patrol officer. He was appointed Commander of the 6th CPD District in 2008, and CPD Chief of Patrol in 2012.
Interim Superintendent
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel endured controversy when appointing Johnson as his interim superintendent in 2016 considering Johnson was not one of the three finalists selected by the Chicago Police Board. Johnson did not apply for the job out of respect for Deputy Interim Superintendent John Escalante. Emanuel named Johnson as the Interim Police Chief on March 28, 2016.
Superintendent
On April 13, 2016, a day after the Chicago City Council Public Safety Committee bypassed the Chicago Police Board with a fast-track vote, Johnson was officially sworn in as Chicago Police Superintendent after his nomination was approved unanimously by the Chicago City Council in a 50–0 vote.
Dismissal
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On December 2, 2019, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot terminated Johnson's employment with the City of Chicago for what she termed a "series of ethical lapses".
Impact
Johnson led a department of over 13,400 officers, the second-largest police department in the United States, who defended use of force training, more community policing and a court monitor to oversee department-wide reforms which included the DOJ and the Chicago Police Accountability Task Force (CPATF). The CPATF was initiated by then Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel to investigate the murder of Laquan McDonald and was once headed by the present Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Johnson was appointed superintendent in 2016 by Emanuel to restore the public's trust after Emanuel delayed releasing the video of Jason Van Dyke's fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald for over a year. Johnson said that the Laquan McDonald incident changed Chicago's trust in the police department and that officer morale fell as a result of the lack of trust. Chicago's homicide rate stood at a 20-year high of 792 in 2016 when Johnson was appointed superintendent, and fell to 561 by the end of 2018. Johnson credited the use of data analytics to decrease homicides and shootings, and approved of the DOJ's investigation into CPD shootings that found widespread excessive use of force and racial discrimination by the CPD. It led to a consent decree, a federally-enforced agreement that oversees CPD reforms.
As a result of the consent decree, Johnson validated the CPD's community policing efforts, making substantial improvements in officer training, which eventually led to a decrease in officer-related shootings.
Personal life
Johnson currently resides in the near South Side neighborhood of Bridgeport. Johnson is divorced, a father of three children, one of whom is a CPD patrolman. He was remarried to a CPD officer in 2017. Johnson had congenital kidney disease for most of his adult life. His son, CPD patrolman Daniel Johnson, gave him one of his kidneys in 2017. Both Johnsons support Illinois' organ donation program, and were honored by the National Kidney Foundation with an award at its 2019 Gift of Life Gala.
