Chicago Cop Faces 10-Day Suspension for Playing 'Sweet Home Alabama' at Black Protest March

The Chicago Police officer who blasted “Sweet Home Alabama” from his squad car as he and other officers trailed a “Black Lives Matter” march last week — a stunt many saw as racially antagonistic — has come forward.

The officer will be disciplined, the police department announced in a statement Thursday. Sources tell the Chicago Tribune the officer faces a 10-day suspension upon the approval of Supt. Garry McCarthy.

The episode, recorded on video and posted on YouTube, quickly gained national attention.

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“CPD fully understands sensitivities related to the song ... we cannot condone any behavior that may be viewed as disruptive or disrespectful to any protester or resident. To the contrary, as you have seen over the past couple weeks, CPD is dedicated to ensuring residents’ right to free speech and peaceful assembly,” the department’s statement read.

Some questioned whether the song was in any way racist or offensive. Mark Potok, a senior fellow at the Southern Poverty Law Center, told the Chicago Tribune that the 1974 Lynyrd Skynyrd song has been “a kind of neo-Confederate anthem” for years. The band wrote the song as a response to Neil Young’s “Southern Man,” which was a commentary on racism.

“It certainly does look like the officers were taunting the marchers,” Potok said.

After seeing the video, recorded by Chicago photographer Gabriel Michael, the police department began an internal investigation and contacted Michael.

On Thursday, the department said the officer told his superiors he was a “fan of the University of Alabama.” The Crimson Tide beat the University of Missouri Saturday in the SEC Championship game.

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