Loudmouth Jody Weis Get Shot Down

Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis said he wanted to charge those responsible for this burglary with murder in the death of Sgt. Alan Haymaker. The third-generation police sergeant died early Monday morning when his car left Lake Shore Drive near Irving Park, as he sped southbound en route to a burglary in Wrigleyville. Weis got shot down big time today by Cook County States Attorney Anita Alvarez's Office.  

Sgt. Alan Haymaker

Weis said early on that "Under Illinois statutes it appears they could be charged with murder... that is something I think that we'll be looking at with the state's attorney's office," as the Chicago Tribune reported, "But I think it's something that we certainly will consider."  

"It appears?" What did the former FBI agent base that on? A guess? Wishful thinking? A poorly qualified legal "expert" on his CPD staff?  

A statement today from Alvarez's office said that "There is not a sufficient legal basis to charge the offender who has been arrested in this case with felony murder charges in connection with the tragic death of Sgt. Haymaker. While we certainly understand the pain and anguish felt by the Chicago Police Department in the wake of this tragedy, the states attorney's office does not have the evidence that would be required to meet the burden of proof to sustain a felony murder charge."  

Weis needs to think before he speaks. Murder charges aside - in fact, the entire burglary aside - Weis needs to re-examine the Lake Shore Drive ice issue, too. He contradicted CPD's Assistant Supt. James Jackson, who said on Monday that "icy road conditions were a factor" in Haymaker's death. (Source: Sun-Times)  

Meanwhile, the long-burning issue of lousy squad car maintenance has been rekindled anew by the death of Sgt. Haymaker. There are allegations that the tires on his car were treadworn. We've yet to hear a public statement from Weis about that. Dangerous, patchwork squad cars pose a deadly threat to officers and to the public at large all year round, regardless of the weather or road conditions.  

And while we're feeling bitchy, when the hell are Chicago's police officers going to get a contract?  

Also See:  

• Suspect will not face murder charges in cop's death  
• Is Supt. Weis Betraying Cops for Political Reasons?

 

Is Supt. Weis Betraying Cops for Political Reasons?

Stuporindendent Jody Weis

Incredible. Reports of icy conditions on Lake Shore Drive at the time of Sgt. Alan Haymaker's death early Monday morning are now being denied by Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis. This stinks of political coverup.  

The Chicago Sun-Times reports Weis's remarks today: Speaking after Sgt. Alan Haymaker was honored with a moment's silence at police headquarters, Weis said officers who were on the scene of Haymaker's death within minutes Monday morning found only "slush and standing water" on the road.  

Okay, Then What About This...? Weis' comments appear to contradict those of Assistant Supt. James Jackson, who said Monday that "icy road conditions were a factor" in Haymaker's death.  

Why Does This Stink? The stink is money and politics. There are many reports that a Streets and Sanitation dispatcher ordered plow crews to NOT lay road salt on Lake Shore Drive around 4:00 a.m. on Monday morning. That's about an hour prior to Sgt. Haymaker's fatal accident near the southbound Irving Park exit. Additionally, it is well known that Mayor Daley hates road salt because it contributes to pot holes and harms roadside vegetation, and Daley has been criticized in the past for not salting streets when needed.  

CPD Sgt. Alan Haymaker

As we noted previously, IF a dispatcher actually issued an order to not salt LSD, said dispatcher would probably have done so only if it was in compliance with standing policy or specific orders from above. IF that happened, it would open the City of Chicago up to a very embarrassing investigation and expose it to a multi-million dollar lawsuit by the late Sgt. Haymaker's family. It could also cause department heads to roll, and cost Daley any future bid at getting re-elected.  

Supt. Weis is often and widely criticized by his own troops as not caring about their safety and welfare. He is accused of being nothing more than an easily controlled political puppet of Mayor Daley. Weis' statement about a "lack of ice," even though "officers who were on the scene" said there was no ice, lacks credibility. Too many other people on the road at that time have reported that it was icy.  

Why, for several days, did CPD keep attributing icy conditions as a factor in the crash? Why the sudden about-face by Weis?  

Furthermore, any of the first responders at the Haymaker crash arrived after the car slid off the road and went over the curb. If there had been ice on the road, even just a patch of ice, at the moment Sgt. Haymaker lost control of his car, it could have melted before anybody got to the crash site.  

Weis is guessing about ice or lack thereof, and we're guessing that he's doing so to help cover some high ranking asses. That pun, by the way, is fully intended.

Man Charged in Burglary That "Killed" Sgt. Alan Haymaker

Suspect Larry Brown, 28

When Chicago Police Sergeant Alan Haymaker lost control of his squad car just past 5:00 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 22, he was en route to the scene of a burglary at Verizon Wireless, 3176 N. Clark Street, Chicago.  

Larry Brown, 28, of Markham, IL (photo) has been charged with burglary and with obstructing identification.

The CPD media statement (see below), and most of the media, are reporting that the burglary occurred "in the 3100 block of N. Clark St." Some media and blogs are incorrectly saying that the address was "3167 N. Clark St." 

However, I phoned Verizon Wireless at 12:03 p.m. today and asked the woman who answered if the manager was in. Yes, she said, then asked who was calling. I said "a reporter." She then said that the manager was not taking calls. "Okay," I said, "so you've pretty much confirmed for me that yours is the cell phone store that was burglarized on Monday morning, right?" Silence from her, then, "I can't say anything about that." And that, ladies and gentlemen, is an unintentional confirmation. Why is this important? Because a man who protected others for years was killed on his way to defend that address and the property inside of it, that's why.  

Sgt. Alan Haymaker

It is ridiculous to hide the address, since the Verizon Wireless store seems to be the only cell phone store "in the 3100 block of N. Clark Street" and divulging it cannot reasonably be considered as giving away private information. It's a bit like saying "the only ten-story building in the 3100 block of Makebelieve Street" and not expecting people to figure out which buidling it is just because you didn't give the exact address. Referring to "a cell phone store in the 3100 block" is just as stupid.  

CPD Supt. Jody Weis said he wants to charge those responsible for this burglary with murder in the death of Sgt. Haymaker. Initial reports were that two people were sought in connection with the burglary. It's interesting that murder is not one of the charges brought against Brown - not yet, anyway.  

From: nwsaffr@chicagopolice.org 

Date: Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:29 Subject: Offender charged today in connection with burglary of cellular phone store on Feb. 22nd in the 3100 block of N. Clark St. Chicago Police have charged an offender today in connection with the burglary of a cellular phone store in the 3100 block of N. Clark St. The burglary occurred on Monday, February 22, 2010 shortly after 5:30 a.m. Larry Brown, 28, of the 16500 block of Park Av. in Markham, Il. was charged with: • Obstructing Identification • Burglary Brown is expected to appear in Felony Bond Court today. **Mug shot attached** Chicago Police Department Office of News Affairs (312) 745-6110 Fax (312) 745-6999

 

Funeral Details for Sgt. Alan Haymaker

Sgt. Alan Haymaker

Update, 2/25/2010: Man Charged in Burglary That "Killed" Sgt. Alan Haymaker  

Wake and Honors Funeral Arrangements for Town Hall (23rd) District Sergeant Alan Haymaker, who died as a result of injuries sustained in a traffic accident on Monday while responding to a burglary-in-progress call.  

THE WAKE will be held on Thursday, February 25, 2010 at Bethel Community Church, 7601 W. Foster, Chicago, IL 60656 Visitation will be from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. St. Jude will meet at 7 p.m. 

FUNERAL SERVICES will be held on Friday, February 26, 2010 with a public viewing at 10 a.m. and church services at 11 a.m. at the same location. Chicago Police to escort family to private interment afterward.  

Editor's Note: Neither Mayor Daley and Police Supt. Jody Weis will not be made to feel welcome at these events. 

Chicago Media Screwing Up on Dead Cop Story

Update, 2/24/2010: Funeral Details for Sgt. Alan Haymaker  

Update, 2/25/201: Man Charged in Burglary That "Killed" Sgt. Alan Haymaker

What kind of morons do the local media hire? Every one of the mainstream media - including Fox Chicago News - keep saying that Sgt. Alan Haymaker was killed when his car "slid off an exit ramp." That's wrong. 

Not only is that completely incorrect, the imbecile reporters actually show photos that contradict their own words. Fox Chicago News, for example.  

Sgt. Haymaker's car never got to the exit ramp

In what seems to be an otherwise good report on Tuesday night, the Fox anchor speaks over a picture of the crash scene, which clearly shows that the car went directly from Lake Shore Drive onto a grassy area where it crashed. 

Even as that is shown on screen, the anchor says that "his squad car slid off an exit ramp," but in the background you can see the ramp, which was obviously missed by the car. It wasn't even close to entering the ramp as my own report showed on Monday night.  

My own photos were posted Monday night and show that Sgt. Haymaker's car was never on the exit ramp (see more photos here). Why is it so difficult for the mainstream media to report such a basic fact of this story correctly?

Who Really Killed Sgt. Alan Haymaker?

Update, 2/24/2010: Funeral Details for Sgt. Alan Haymaker

 

Update, 2/25/2010: Man Charged in Burglary That "Killed" Sgt. Alan Haymaker

 

Sgt Alan J. Haymaker | Star 2532

On Monday, Feb. 22, we asked some tough questions about the sad and untimely death of Sergeant Alan Joseph Haymaker, the third generation Chicago police office who died early Monday morning when his squad car slammed to a deadly halt when it hit a tree near the Irving Park exit ramp on Lake Shore Drive. It seems we were not entirely out of line with those questions, and there are even more questions today - and not just by us.  

 

Before we ask who should be arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter, let me clear up something that the rest of the media has repeatedly gotten wrong about this story. Sgt. Haymaker’s car did NOT "spin out" on an "apparently icy exit ramp on Lake Shore Drive” as incorrectly reported by The Chicago Tribune and other news media that have been too lazy to get off their overpaid asses to go look at the scene of death. Chicago News Bench did go, and we took photos that prove beyond doubt that Sgt. Haymaker never entered the exit ramp. 

 

In fact, from all visible indications, Sgt. Haymaker did not even attempt to drive onto the exit ramp. Indeed, it would have made no sense for him to have taken that exit ramp, as we pointed out yesterday, because he was reportedly responding to a burglary scene in the 3100 block of N. Clark Street, whereas the Irving Park exit ramp is at 4100 north. Sgt. Haymaker would more likely have been intending to exit Lake Shore Drive at either Addison or Belmont.  

 

So, Sgt. Haymaker did not “spin out” on the Irving Park exit ramp, because his car simply did not enter that exit ramp. Furthermore, from our first-hand observations and photographs, his car probably did not even spin out on Lake Shore Drive. Rather, the tire tracks of his car indicate that he drove in a straight line from LSD, over the curb, and straight onto the grassy area between the exit ramp and LSD. It seems that his car spun (fish tailed) about 90 degrees in the split second between jumping the curb and hitting the light pole a few feet before the tree that destroyed both him and his squad car. 

 

SO, WHO KILLED SGT. HAYMAKER - AND WHO SHOULD BE CHARGED? There are rumors flying that Mayor Richard Daley gave an order to not put road salt on Lake Shore Drive. Another rumor is that a Streets and Sanitation dispatcher gave an order to not salt LSD. Neither rumor has been substantiated. To play devil’s advocate, a dispatcher be very unlikely to issue such an order unless he/she was confident that it complied with existing city policy, whether that policy was publicly know or not. To do so would certainly raise eyebrows immediately, and probably bring disciplinary action shortly thereafter.  

Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis has his own idea of who killed Sgt. Haymaker, and it’s a weird idea at that. He blames the burglars that Sgt. Haymaker was en route to on N. Clark Street.  

 

WGNTV.com reports that Weis "said officials are in discussion with the Cook County state's attorney's office to see if felony murder charges could be lodged against the burglars responsible for the early morning break in at a cell-phone store in the 3100 block of North Clark Street, where Haymaker was headed.... Under Illinois statutes it appears they could be charged with murder... 'that is something I think that we'll be looking at with the States Attorney's office,' Weis said. 'But I think it's something that we certainly will consider'."  

 

Weis said he believes that under state law the person behind a crime can be charged with murder if responding officers are killed. The burglary is also under investigation because no one has been apprehended. If that’s what state law allows, fine. However, it does not address what actually, physically caused Sgt. Haymaker’s car to jump the curb and hit that tree. There’s the road salt question, of course, but there’s also questions about the condition of the squad car that Sgt. Haymaker was driving.  

 

SALT IN THE WOUND It’s been said that LSD, a major road, was icy at the time of the accident. But, why? The storm that hit on the evening of Sunday, Feb. 21 started dumping snow on Lake Shore Drive at approximately 9:00 p.m. by my own recollection. Sgt. Haymaker hit the tree just past 5:00 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 22, some eight hours later. LSD is no small side street, and should have been cleared of snow and well salted by then. Monday morning rush hour was about to begin, after all. It should be remembered that a decision to not salt LSD put thousands of commuters at risk of a fate similar to that met by Sgt. Haymaker.  

 

Item: The Department of Streets and Sanitation operates the big blue snow plows that also spread road salt. We hear from reliable sources that more than one Streets and San employee stopped to tell investigators at the scene of Sgt. Haymaker’s accident that a dispatcher gave the order to NOT salt Lake Shore Drive on Monday morning. 

 

Item: Second City Cop blog (SCC) notes that one of their commenters, “from a cop on traffic control at the scene,” said that a snowplow driver on the inner drive” waived him/her down “and he stated that they were under orders...NOT to salt Lakeshore Drive! The City Snowplow Driver seemed sincere and pissed off that a needless accident had to happen because of his direct orders.” SCC also noted that an e-mail to them seems to confirm this: “A friend who monitored the radio transmission this morning stated that someone from streets n san broadcasted the following... ‘No More Salt On Lake Shore Drive’! That was before the Sgt Crashed. Can someone pull the tapes for that Sgt's family! I figured your the best source of info relay.” See more comments about this at Second City Cop...  

 

Item: A local blog says that “Mayor Daley gave the order NOT TO SALT Lake Shore Dr. during snow storms - Due to the salt killing the plants in the center planters.... And now we have today's accident that claimed the life of Sgt. Haymaker.... There are many reports that the Streets and Sans guys were given the ordered NOT TO SALT LAKE SHORE DRIVE. Why? Because the salt gets kicked up into the cement planters and kills the plants and damages the soil.” (Source: Advisory for strong language) If orders were given to NOT salt LSD, perhaps Supt. Weis should focus his murder investigation on Streets and Sanitation, as well as on Mayor Daley.  

 

QUESTIONS REMAIN Even if ice was a factor in the accident this morning, why did Sgt. Haymaker steer his car off of Lake Shore Drive, over the curb, and into light post and tree, with NO sign of any spin out prior to leaving the pavement of LSD?  

 

There are now questions being asked as to why the road was so icy. Was it because there was no salt put on the road? Was Chicago Streets and Sanitation instructed to not salt Lake Shore Drive? Why would the City not want this large stretch of road traveled daily by thousands of people salted? 

 

Attorney Jamie G. Goldstein asks, "There are now questions being asked as to why the ramp was so icy. Was it because there was no salt put on the ramp? Was Chicago Streets and Sanitation instructed to not salt Lake Shore Drive? Why would the City not want this large stretch of road traveled daily by thousands of people salted?" We'll forgive her for being misinformed by the media that Sgt. Haymaker was on "the ramp," but her question about salt - or lack thereof - on the road Sgt. Haymaker last traveled is valid.  

 

Another frightening possibility might be found in alleged maintenance negligence. A commenter to one of the blogs cited above wrote that “There are reports on SCC that the pool car that the Sgt was driving was deficient too. Someone posted that the tires appeared to be nearly bald and that the airbag did not deploy.”  

 

For Supt. Weis to blame the death of Sgt. Haymaker on two at-large burglary suspects seems like an attempt to divert attention away from possible negligence by the city itself: Mayor Daley for his anti-road salt position, Streets and Sanitation for allegedly ordering salt truck drivers to not salt LSD, and the Chicago Police Department for possibly assigning poorly maintained vehicles to its officers. Weis might have legal ground to stand on when he says he might bring murder charges against the burglars, if captured, but morally he stands on thin ice by not demanding full investigations into Chicago’s own bureaucratic morass.  

 

FINAL QUESTIONS No disrespect to Sgt. Haymaker is intended by this question, but it needs to be asked: Was his blood checked for alcohol and/or drugs? I do not mean to imply anything by that question, but if anybody else had such an accident we would ask. The public has a right to know that even for a private citizen. We have as much right to know that when it involves a police sergeant.

 

RELATED:  

• Officer Killed on Lake Shore Drive - Too Icy or Not Enough Salt?  
• Mayor Relents, Full Plowing Returns Streets and San Ready, Steady, Plow?  
• Daley is the New Bilandic: More Plow Problems

Exclusive: Chicago Cop's Death on LSD Raises Big Questions

Update 2/24/2010: Funeral Details for Sgt. Alan Haymaker  

Update 2/23/2010: Who Really Killed Sgt. Alan Haymaker?  

Update, 2/25/2010: Man Charged in Burglary That "Killed" Sgt. Alan Haymaker  

R.I.P., Sgt. Alan Haymaker

Monday, February 22, 2010 - The tragic and untimely death of Sergeant Alan Haymaker just past 5:00 a.m. today has been blamed on "icy conditions," but that - and our exclusive photos below - raise more questions. Chicago News Bench visited the crash scene, and it left us wondering if CPD is telling the whole story of what really caused the accident.  

Note: Our photos, below, clearly show what the other media have not shown: That Sgt. Haymaker's car was never on the exit ramp, he did not attempt to take the exit ramp, and that he transitioned over the curb from Lake Shore Drive in a straight line with NO spin-out.  

In short, Sgt. Haymaker completely missed the well-lit, well-marked, easily visible Irving Park off ramp, and instead drove straight over the curb on Lake Shore Drive (LSD). He did not lose control on the ramp - in fact, he never entered the ramp. As he jumped the curb, his car continued in a straight line, knocking down a light pole and slamming to a stop when it hit a tree. It is not known whether Sgt. Haymaker was actually trying to take the Irving Park ramp - it seems very unlikely, however, because it was many blocks north of the burglary to which he was responding.  

Sgt. Haymaker was still well north of where he should have been getting off, which should have at Belmont to approach the burglary at 3167 N. Clark. Belmont is 3200 north. The Irving Park exit ramp, actually at Bittersweet and Marine, is 4100 north.  

The public "explanation" given so far by Chicago Police Department’s Major Accidents Unit is puzzling and insufficient in light of photographs (below) taken by Chicago News Bench on Monday afternoon.  

The photos we have seen elsewhere, like the one here by The Chicago Tribune, do not show the tire tracks of the car as they leave LSD, go over the curb, and straight toward a tree. Our photos show that. According to CPD, Sgt. Haymaker was driving south on Lake Shore Drive as he was en route to a report of a burglary scene at 3167 N. Clark Street, several blocks west and more than 10 blocks north of the Irving Park off ramp. Lake Shore Drive is well lit. While "icy conditions" were named as a reason for the accident, visibility was not mentioned. The stretch of LSD southbound lanes is long and flat in the approach to the Irving Park off ramp, so nothing should have been obstructing Sgt. Haymaker's view of the wide and well-marked off ramp.  

Our questions for the Chicago Police Department:

There is no mention in the reports visibility being a factor in the accident; what was the ground visibility at that location at that time?

Was Sgt. Haymaker attempting to enter the Irving Park exit ramp?

How fast is it estimated that Sgt. Haymaker's car was moving when it went over the curb?

Even if ice was a factor in the accident this morning, why did he steer his car off of Lake Shore Drive, over the curb, and into light post and tree, with NO sign of any spin out prior to leaving the pavement of LSD?

Was Sgt. Haymaker's blood tested for drugs and for alcohol?

Is CPD saying that Streets and Sanitation had not salted LSD and all off ramps by the beginning of the morning rush hour? Is CPD saying that a major road (LSD) was icy more than eight hours after the snow storm began?

Is it CPD's policy that officers drive at very high speeds to a burglarly at a retail address at 5:00 a.m., when there is no threat to life at the burglary scene?

The car seems to have spun after leaving LSD and before striking the light pole; had it continued straight it would probably have missed the pole as indicated by the tire tracks still clearly visible in the snow at 3:15 p.m. today. This indicates that the car may have fishtailed, most likely as Sgt. Haymaker tried to steer and/or brake on the slippery snow-covered grass of the median on which he suddenly found himself.  

Our photos below clearly show the path that Sgt. Haymaker's car took as it mysteriously went over the curb. There seems to have been no spin out prior to jumping the curb. We saw no skid marks on Lake Shore Drive anywhere near the accident scene.

		Click images to enlarge
		Photos by Tom Mannis