A Chicago police officer who was accused of punching an activist two years ago at a large protest resigned as the Civilian Office of Police Accountability released its report on the incident.
Miracle Boyd, right, from GoodKids MadCity, and fellow members talk to the media in front of the George Washington statue in Chicago on July 20, 2020.
The encounter occurred July 17, 2020, near the Christopher Columbus statue in Grant Park. Boyd was attending a protest when she saw several officers take a person into custody, according to the COPA report.Boyd started to record what was happening on her phone and two officers approached her and blocked her path. One of those officers, Jovanovich, hit the phone out of her hand, causing it to hit her face and knock out one of her front teeth, officials said.
COPA also found that Jovanovich’s partner, Officer Andres Valle, failed to report Jovanovich’s excessive force and found that Sgt. Kevin Gleeson made false or misleading statements when approving Jovanovich’s Tactical Response Report. After retreating from the statue, Jovanovich went to Columbus Drive when he heard Boyd’s voice and saw her about 30 feet away, the report said. He said she was yelling profanities and flailing her arms, and she had a black rectangular object in her hand.