Chicago Police Sergeant Fired For Role In Unjust Raid Of Anjanette Young

The sergeant in charge of a botched police raid of Anjanette Young, a Black woman who was handcuffed naked as the officers wrongfully entered her home, was fired from his position in the Chicago Police Department on June 15.

In a 31-page ruling that detailed the “multiple rule violations” and “failure of leadership” during the 2019 raid, the Chicago Police Board decided that Sgt. Alex Wolinski would be discharged from the force in a 5-3 vote, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The ruling indicated Wolinski’s negligence in the respect and fair treatment of individuals.

“Though it was clear that the officers were not at the residence of the intended target, [Wolinski] nonetheless allowed Ms. Young to remain naked and handcuffed for an extended period of time — over 10 minutes,” it read.

Following footage of the egregious incident, calls from city leaders and Black clergymen urged that the sergeant be forced to step down. Young, a social worker who lived on Chicago’s West Side, was forced to remain nude as she was put into handcuffs after police entered her home on a no-knock warrant and searched the wrong address for a man who allegedly had an illegal gun.

A covering placed over Young repeatedly fell off, leaving her surrounded by a squad of police officers while naked and handcuffed until she was allowed to dress herself.

Wolinski, a member of the Chicago police for over 20 years, was cited for breaking eight departmental regulations, including disobedience of an order and disrespect to or maltreatment of any person, the Associate Press reported.

Young eventually sued the city for civil rights violations, receiving a settlement of $2.9 million.

In the fall of 2022, a committee within the Chicago City Council failed to pass as an ordinance named after Young that would have extended precautionary measures surrounding warrants, prioritizing the “least intrusive” methods first.

Young made a statement on the sergeant’s termination, sharing that the decision should have been unanimous given the treatment she endured.

“While my heart goes out to his family because they now suffer the consequences of his abhorrent misconduct, I wish all eight members of the Chicago Police Board would have recognized the need and urgency for Sergeant Wolinski’s removal.”