A police officer taking part in several suits against the city has been suspended without pay pending a March 23 hearing.
James Scales Jr., the only black officer on the 19-member force, was suspended Friday, according to his co-counsel, Thomas C. Crooks. Crooks would not discuss the complaints against his client beyond saying: “The charges are retaliatory in nature. We will show in the hearing that they are groundless as well.”
Thomas McGuire, the Long Grove attorney representing Police Chief Robert Nardella, said he could not comment, and Scales declined to comment.
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Scales’ suspension is the latest turbulent twist in a department divided by lawsuits and politics.
Six of the 11 patrol officers, including Scales, are involved in litigation against the city. Scales also has filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against the department, alleging a climate of racism.
The police department and the city also are caught up in an ongoing federal investigation into the city’s relationship with major developers.
Federal agents have subpoenaed records of top city officials, including Nardella, and several police officers have testified before a grand jury in Chicago.