Charges dropped against police recruit after tests show material found in pants pocket was not crack cocaine

Prosecutors on Tuesday dropped drug possession costs filed towards a Chicago police recruit through the cadet’s first court docket look. Why? In response to the Solar-Occasions, his legal professional stated checks confirmed that the fabric in a small baggie present in Alfredo Saldana’s pants pocket was not unlawful.

Now, the president of the union representing the town’s front-line cops is looking out a CPD inside affairs detective who allegedly dealt with the case, saying the cop “is unhealthy information.”

On April 21, an academy coach gave Saldana a small baggie embellished with blue stars that contained simulated heroin for “state of affairs primarily based coaching involving narcotics associated offenses,” a CPD arrest report stated. One other recruit was instructed to carry out a custodial search whereas the coach noticed and critiqued his efficiency.

Whereas looking Saldana’s cargo pants, the second recruit discovered a transparent knotted baggie containing 4 small zip baggies embellished with inexperienced greenback indicators, every containing suspected crack cocaine, in response to the report.

Figuring out that the phony medication offered for coaching had been in a blue-starred baggie, the coach requested Saldana what the knotted baggie contained.

“That’s nothing, that’s simply rubbish,” Saldana allegedly replied.

Pressed for a solution, Saldana allegedly claimed, “These aren’t my pants. They belong to my brother, he’s the police.”

Routine testing of the fabric decided that it was not crack cocaine or every other unlawful substance, in response to Saldana’s legal professional, Tim Grace.

Grace informed the Solar-Occasions that Saldana’s pants actually did belong to his brother and Saldana didn’t notice the faux medication had been within the cargo pants pocket.

Many regulation enforcement businesses use subject checks to find out if suspected narcotics are, actually, managed substances. However it seems that CPD determined to file costs with out testing the fabric present in Saldana’s pants.

In a YouTube video posted this week, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #7 President John Catanzara known as out a CPD Inner Affairs detective by title, saying the cop is motivated solely to prosecute fellow officers, even when introduced with clear proof that costs should not warranted.

In response to the Solar-Occasions, Catanzara stated the Inner Affairs investigator was concerned in Saldana’s case.

Court docket information present at the least one fellow officer has sued the detective for wrongful prosecution.