In a compelling case that highlights ongoing concerns about racial profiling and police misconduct, a 29-year-old African American man has filed a lawsuit against the City of Chicago and several of its police officers. The complaint was lodged by Corris A. Whitfield on June 5, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division. The defendants named in the suit include Chicago Police Officers John J. Salinas and Anthony Rojas, as well as Sergeant Daniel K. Shine.
According to the court filing, Whitfield alleges that he was unlawfully stopped, searched, and arrested by the officers on May 9, 2023. Whitfield, a fashion designer and music manager from Lake County, Illinois, claims he was racially profiled while driving his gray Dodge Challenger after stopping at a gas station on Chicago's south side. The complaint details how Whitfield noticed a police vehicle following him closely after he left the gas station. Despite adhering to all traffic laws, he was pulled over around 8:00 PM CST.
The situation escalated when Whitfield requested that a supervising officer be present during the stop—a right he believed he had based on social media videos about traffic stops. After waiting for approximately seven minutes, multiple squad cars arrived at the scene. Upon exiting his vehicle with his hands up as instructed by one of the officers who identified himself as a supervisor, Whitfield was tackled to the ground by three officers and subsequently arrested for resisting arrest—a charge he vehemently denies.
Whitfield's lawsuit accuses the City of Chicago and its police department of using traffic stops as pretexts for unlawful searches targeting African American men. The complaint cites data from an ABC-7 investigation showing a surge in traffic stops since 2016 and mentions other similar lawsuits settled by the city involving African American men who were racially profiled during traffic stops.
The plaintiff is seeking compensatory damages for physical injuries, emotional distress, lost income due to electronic monitoring conditions that prevented him from conducting his business effectively, and punitive damages against individual officers for their willful misconduct. Additionally, Whitfield demands declaratory relief stating that the acts complained of are unconstitutional under both federal and state law.
The case underscores broader systemic issues within the Chicago Police Department related to racial profiling and excessive use of force. According to studies cited in the complaint from both government sources and independent organizations like the ACLU of Illinois, Black drivers are disproportionately targeted for searches and arrests compared to their white counterparts.
Representing Whitfield are attorneys Benjamin C.R. Lockyer and John J. Mariane from Lockyer Law LLC. The case has been assigned Case No. 24-cv-04667 but awaits further judicial assignments.