This cartoon is part of the evidence presented in a federal lawsuit filed on 26 August by Chicago police officer Anthony Banks, alleging racial harassment, retaliation and a hostile work environment at the Chicago Police Department(CPD).
In March, the officer received an email on his work mobile phone with the image.
According to the lawsuit, the message contained this cartoon of a black man with a large head, disproportionate lips and a wide nose. Above the image is the question:"When does a black man feel the most frustrated? And below it, the answer:"When he tries to blow his brains out!
The cartoon, unsigned, depicts a man with a gun in his mouth and a tear falling from his eye as a bullet exits through his head, where he has two more bullet holes. A thought bubble with a misspelled (deliberately, it is understood) English text reads:"Damn... I missed again!
Banks is represented by the Blake Horwitz law firm. His lawsuit describes alleged experiences of racial hostility in the department, where, he says, black officers rarely speak out or challenge discrimination. The lawsuit names several CPD officers in what is described as "explicit" acts of racism.
According to the lawsuit, the cartoon was sent the day after Banks intervened in a heated confrontation on March 17 between a pregnant woman and a fellow officer. After seeing the officer push the woman, Banks intervened to calm the situation, according to ABC 7 Chicago, CBS Chicago and numerous other media outlets.
Later that day, inside the Harrison district police station, other officers confronted Banks and surrounded him. They allegedly shouted racial slurs at him, including the derogatory use of the word "nigger", and told him to "go back to where you came from". The officers also referred to his previous posting in Grand Crossing District 3, known for its predominantly African-American police force, and "invited" him to return there.
The complaint further alleges that the officers prevented Banks from leaving the room until two sergeants intervened. Banks reported the incident to Lieutenant Nari Haro, one of the defendants, and was ordered to write a "confidential memo" (an internal memo intended to be shared only with authorised personnel). This confidential report was subsequently leaked on the Internet, allegedly prompting further retaliation.
On 18 March, Banks received the racist cartoon, which according to the lawsuit was sent by one of the officers involved in the previous incident.
Attorney Blake Horwit called the cartoon "the most racially perverse example" he has ever seen, comparing it to the racism of 1950s Mississippi. The lawsuit alleges that one of the officers involved in the harassment was the one who sent the threatening image.
The lawsuit alleges violations of Banks' Fourth Amendment rights, claiming that he was unlawfully detained at the police station without probable cause. It also cites equal protection violations based on racially motivated harassment, retaliation and unauthorised disclosure of confidential information.
Banks is currently on medical leave, citing emotional stress and concern for his safety. The lawsuit seeks compensation for lost wages, emotional distress and attorney's fees, as well as institutional reforms to address systemic racism within the CPD.
A retired black police officer told The Chicago Crusader, a weekly African-American newspaper distributed in Chicago, that racism exists in the Chicago Police Department, especially towards outspoken black officers.
Horwitz said the case highlights the department's culture of hostility. "This case illustrates the toxic culture that exists within the Chicago police department, where an officer who does the right thing in calming a police-civilian interaction becomes the target of racial hostility from his own colleagues," he said.
