Loved ones of a man who was shot to death by two Chicago police officers interrupted a speech Sunday afternoon by Mayor Brandon Johnson at a community listening session.
The mayor had just begun speaking at the listening session, hosted by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression at Trinity United Church of Christ in Roseland, when people began to shout from the audience, according to video of the event.
They were loved ones of 58-year-old Timothy Glaze, according to Jasmine Smith, an activist with the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, who was one of about 100 people at the meeting.
Two police officers shot Glaze 16 times on Jan. 3 as Glaze walked toward them carrying a knife in the hallway of a Little Village high-rise. His family has said he was in “mental distress” and officers should have tried to de-escalate the situation. The family is also incensed that the two officers are back on patrol after spending 30 days assigned to administrative duties, per department policy following a fatal shooting.
WATCH LIVE: Mayor Brandon Johnson attends the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Oppression Community Conversation event. https://t.co/leGeuOPJvj
— Mayor Brandon Johnson (@ChicagosMayor) March 30, 2025
“They were there trying to get the mayor’s attention and to get his answer as to why the officers who were the cause of Timothy Glaze being killed are still on the force,” Smith said.
Johnson thanked the group for raising the issue.
“We certainly have had issues with our police department over the years, and since I’ve been in office we have been working very hard to ensure that our law enforcement is behaving constitutionally, but I can tell you one thing for sure: Under my administration my commitment to make sure that there is real justice for our people is my top priority,” Johnson said.
But the disruptions continued for several more minutes until others in the audience started chanting “let the mayor speak.” The disrupting group was escorted out of the meeting, Smith said. The rest of the event went on uninterrupted.
“The frustration that is being expressed today is one that we have held for generations, but I can tell you one thing for sure that though we’ve inherited a mess we’re going to clean it up and we’re going to do that together,” Johnson said.