Chicago Police Officers Complete Year-Long Suspensions After Drunken Brawl at Wrigleyville Restaurant
Two Chicago police officers, Officers Moises Diaz and Salvador Perez, have recently completed year-long suspensions as part of a disciplinary settlement stemming from a drunken altercation at Dimo’s Pizza in Wrigleyville in 2019, according to a report released by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA).
The incident occurred on May 23, 2019, when the off-duty officers, who were extremely intoxicated, entered the restaurant after a day of drinking at Wrigley Field and nearby bars. The altercation began when restaurant employees asked Diaz to close a restroom door he had left open while urinating. The situation escalated as the officers became violent, shoving and striking employees both inside and outside the restaurant.
During the altercation, Perez identified himself as a Chicago Police Officer and demanded his pizza from the staff. Video footage and witness statements revealed Diaz punching an employee without justification, while Perez pushed a bystander, grabbed a woman by the throat, and attempted to reenter the restaurant using his police badge.
The COPA report found that both officers violated department rules by engaging in unjustified physical violence, being intoxicated off duty, and abusing their authority. Diaz claimed to have no memory of the incident from the time he entered the restroom until he woke up in the hospital hours later.
While COPA recommended in June 2021 that both officers be fired due to their conduct damaging the reputation of the department, they ultimately served year-long suspensions as part of a settlement agreement. The report was released to the public last week.
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