CHICAGO — The Chicago Police Department will discipline a police officer accused of blaring "Sweet Home Alabama" from his squad car during a protest march against police brutality last weekend, a move some interpreted as racist.
A source said the officer is facing a suspension. The officer, who told the department he was just supporting the University of Alabama, was not named by the department.
Video shot during Saturday's "Black Lives Matter" protest in East Garfield Park included the unmarked police car blaring the 1974 Lynyrd Skynyrd hit song, which has been criticized as supporting former Alabama Gov. George Wallace, a segregationist. Members of the band maintains it does not.
"The officer responsible for playing the song during Sunday’s [sic] protest has come forward and will be disciplined for his actions," the department said in a statement Thursday.
"While he says he was playing the music as fan of the University of Alabama, CPD fully understands sensitivities related to the song and regardless we cannot condone any behavior that may be viewed as disruptive or disrespectful to any protestor or resident. To the contrary, as you have seen over the past couple weeks, CPD is dedicated to ensuring residents' right to free speech and peaceful assembly."
The University of Alabama was due to play in the SEC Championship the day of the protest, and some people on social media pointed to that as a likely reason for the song. Others, however, viewed it as a move to taunt protesters.
Watch the video here (story continues below):
The unmarked squad car was one of many Police Department vehicles driving behind the protest to escort marchers north on Pulaski Road toward Madison Street, where protesters then staged a "die-in."
Humboldt Park photographer Gabriel Michael captured the footage about 1:30 p.m. Saturday in the 100 block of South Pulaski Road.
"I couldn’t believe what I was hearing because you have to know the history of that song and the meaning," Michael said. "It didn’t makes sense to me. It was [either] a horribly ironic joke that desensitized cops were playing, or it was intentionally disrespectful and intimidating."
As the video spread on Twitter, some saw the incident as intentionally racist, while others assumed the song was in support of the Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Missouri Tigers SEC Championship football game set to kick off 90 minutes later.
In response to questions from DNAinfo.com about the video, the police department said on Monday the incident was under investigation. On Thursday evening, it released its statement about the impending discipline.
The squad car trailed far enough behind the march that Michael believed the chanting protesters were unaware of the music, though bystanders seemed as shocked as he was, he said.
"That's called terrorism," a man walking in front of the camera can be heard calling out.
The protest was one of many nationwide, and several locally, in the wake of recent grand jury decisions not to indict white police officers in the separate deaths of black men Eric Garner and Michael Brown.
The march was attended by about 100 people, Michael said.
It was organized by Stop Mass Incarceration Network Chicago. In an email Monday, a representative from the organization called the incident "grotesque."
Michael said he could not tell if "Sweet Home Alabama" was coming from within the car or if it was being played over the car's PA system, but he is positive it was coming from the Police Department vehicle.
"It was intimidating. It was aggressive. It was totally out of place," Michael said. "It was supposed to be a peaceful protest, and they ended it with that."
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