A Chicago officer who has racked up more complaints than any other officer faces termination after two disciplinary cases.
Officer Joseph Vecchio has been the subject of 76 complaints issued to the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) since he started with the Chicago Police Department in October 2019, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
The allegations included domestic abuse, civil rights violations and providing false statements about traffic stops involving guns, the outlet said.
Now, the officer, who is a part of the Near North District's 1863 tactical team, faces termination after COPA recommended it following two disciplinary cases tied to his work.
Last year, the officer was stripped of his policing powers after COPA Chief LaKenya White alerted the former police superintendent about Vecchio's 'concerning number of complaints.'
'It revealed that Officer Vecchio has the highest number of log number investigations in the entire Department,' she wrote to the superintendent.
'Although many of these cases are still under investigation, the increasing number of complaints against Officer Vecchio suggests the need for immediate intervention by CPD.'
Two of the cases against Vecchio, which were announced by the Police Board on Thursday, involved searches of a person's vehicle after he found out the occupant had a gun license.
Officer Joseph Vecchio could face losing his job after he received 76 complaints against him since starting on the Chicago Police Department in October 2019
One of the incidents took place on Christmas in 2024 and involved a BMW parked in a loading zone with hazards on, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
After Vecchio ran the man in the car's license, he discovered he had a license to own a gun, but not to carry one.
Vecchio then demanded the man leave his vehicle, so they could search it. They found a gun in the center console, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
However, officers wrote on the arrest report that they saw the man pull an L-shaped object out of his waistband and reach toward the center console, causing them to search the vehicle.
Arlette Porter, the board member who issued the ruling, also said the bodycam footage showed the officers had 'no reasonable articulable suspicion of the man before searching his vehicle.
The former superintendent argued Vecchio shouldn't face any discipline, but the police board overruled, agreeing with COPA's recommendation of termination.
'Officer Vecchio’s intentional inaccuracies, untruths, and misleading testimony before the Court was egregious and in direct contravention to CPD policy regarding honesty and accountability,' Porter said.
In his other case, which involves a similar situation, the former superintendent did recommend termination.
The 1863 tactical team has faced an incredible amount of complaints and garnered an infamously negative reputation.
Over 90 percent of the 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.' COPA has since recommendation termination of employment
COPA Director of Investigations Steffany Hreno accused the team of using traffic stops as an excuse to probe other crimes and to insult and threaten victims.
Hreno 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 be made on Vecchio's 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.
