Chicago cop with 76 complaints faces termination after abuse allegations

Chicago is finally seeing justice served on its dirtiest cop. Officer Joseph Vecchio has triggered more complaints than any other officer in the Windy City, and now he faces termination. He racked up 76 complaints filed with the Civilian Office of Police Accountability since joining the force in October 2019. The Chicago Sun-Times broke the story on this mess.

The allegations pile up fast. They include domestic abuse, civil rights violations, and providing false statements about traffic stops involving guns. Vecchio is a member of the Near North District's 1863 tactical team. Yet his record speaks for itself. COPA recommended termination after two disciplinary cases tied to his work came to light.

Last year, he lost his policing powers. COPA Chief LaKenya White sounded the alarm on the former police superintendent regarding Vecchio's 'concerning number of complaints.' She wrote directly to the top boss that her review showed Officer Vecchio holds the highest number of log-number investigations in the entire Department. Although many cases remain under probe, the rising tide of complaints against him demands immediate intervention by CPD.

Two specific cases were announced by the Police Board on Thursday. Both involved searching a person's vehicle after officers learned the occupant held a gun license. One incident occurred right over Christmas in 2024. A BMW sat parked in a loading zone with hazards turned on, according to reports from the Chicago Sun-Times.

Vecchio ran the driver's name through his system and found the man had a license to own a firearm but not one to carry it. The officer then demanded the man leave his vehicle so they could search it inside. This is just one of many incidents that led to this point. Vecchio stands to lose his job after receiving 76 complaints against him since starting on the Chicago Police Department in October 2019.

An L-shaped object was pulled from a suspect's waistband by officer Michael Vecchio, triggering a search of his car that eventually revealed a gun in the center console. The Chicago Sun-Times noted this sequence of events, yet the arrest report told a different story that raised immediate red flags. According to the board member who issued the final ruling, Arlette Porter, bodycam footage proved officers had no reasonable articulable suspicion before they patted down the vehicle or searched it.

Porter was firm in her stance: Officer Vecchio's intentional inaccuracies, untruths, and misleading testimony before the Court were egregious and stood in direct contravention to CPD policy regarding honesty and accountability. The former police superintendent argued that Vecchio shouldn't face any discipline at all. That argument fell flat when the police board overruled him. Instead, they sided with COPA's recommendation of termination.

This was not an isolated incident for the leader in question. In his other case involving a similar situation, the former superintendent did recommend termination there as well. The stakes seem incredibly high given the history surrounding the 1863 tactical team, which has faced an incredible amount of complaints and garnered an infamously negative reputation. Over 90 percent of those complaints against the team involved them pulling over African Americans, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

COPA Chief LaKenya White alerted the former police superintendent about Vecchio's concerning number of complaints early on. COPA has since recommended termination of employment for him. Director of Investigations Steffany Hreno accused the entire unit of using traffic stops as an excuse to probe other crimes and to insult and threaten victims. She also accused them of improperly using their body-worn cameras and filing incomplete paperwork.

Vecchio has previously been suspended for 15 days. It is unclear when a decision will finally be made on his employment status. When contacted, the police department deferred to the Chicago Police Board for comment. The Daily Mail has reached out to Vecchio, the Chicago Police Board, and COPA for comment as well.