THE LOOP — Protesters marched outside the offices of State's Attorney Anita Alvarez Friday over her decision not to prosecute a police officer for a series of on-duty shootings.
A dozen protesters demanded that Alvarez resign or be removed from office by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle over her decision this week not to prosecute Gildardo Sierra in the 2011 shooting death of Flint Farmer.
The city agreed to a $4 million settlement earlier this year on that case, but Alvarez declined to file criminal charges.
"It's real, real crazy," said Emmett Farmer, the victim's father, outside the Dunne Building during Friday's demonstration.
In the six months prior to that incident, Sierra shot two others while on duty and killed one of them.
He is now on an "administrative assignment," according to Chicago Police Department spokesman Adam Collins, pending a final finding by the Independent Police Review Authority.
Sierra's original report said he believed Flint Farmer had a gun, which turned out to be a cellphone. Emmett Farmer said that didn't explain dashboard video showing Sierra "shooting him while he was lying down defenseless."
"We are asking that the United States government investigate Anita Alvarez, the State's Attorney's Office, and ask her the question why she's engaged in the cover-up of police torture and police murders," said Wallace "Gator" Bradley of the group United in Peace.
"This is not the end," Farmer said. "We want Attorney Alvarez to resign or we want Toni Preckwinkle to impeach her. We want her out of office. And then we want to take this to the federal grand jury."
IPRA Chief Administrator Scott Ando confirmed during budget hearings Friday that the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office are still looking into the case. He added that IPRA has to wait for their determination on the case before it can act.
Alvarez's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Neither did Preckwinkle's office.
