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Chicago police chief Eddie Johnson fired just weeks before retirement
Joshua Lott/Getty Images

Chicago police chief Eddie Johnson fired just weeks before retirement

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Johnson repeatedly lied about the night he was found asleep in his vehicle

Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson has been fired "for cause" by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, after an ongoing investigation reportedly found the chief lied several times about the details surrounding an evening out in October when he was discovered asleep at the wheel of his vehicle.

What are the details?

During a press conference on Monday, Mayor Lightfoot announced that she had fired Johnson "for cause, effective immediately," saying the longtime chief spun a "narrative replete with false statements all seemingly intended to hide the nature of his conduct" following the night he was found unconscious by passersby around 12:30 a.m.

Lightfoot said Johnson's conduct was "unbecoming of a police chief," WGN-TV reported, and that if she had known the facts disclosed in the Inspector General's report sooner, she would have fired Johnson on the spot.

Chicago mayor fires top cop Eddie Johnson over 'intolerable' actionswww.youtube.com

Lightfoot did not provide further details from the report, she said, out of respect for Johnson's wife and children.

The day after Johnson was found slumped over the steering wheel in his car, the superintendent held a press conference saying he had forgotten to take his blood pressure medication on the day of the incident and that he felt faint and decided to pull over on his way home after dinner with friends.

While he admitted to having a few drinks that evening, he said first responders determined that he was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs and sent him on his way. Johnson himself called for an internal review of the incident.

According to the Daily Mail, Johnson was due to retire less than a month from the date of his firing. The chief announced his retirement plans following the October 17 incident.

Anything else?

Superintendent Johnson has had quite a year besides the situation that led to his dismissal after more than 30 years on the force.

The chief is currently being sued by actor Jussie Smollett, who says Johnson smeared him by alleging the actor faked a widely-disputed alleged physical attack against him.

Johnson was also hit with a vote of "no confidence" from the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police this fall, after he refused to attend a speech by President Donald Trump at the police chief's conference in Chicago.

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