Woman charged with running over CPD officer was hired by City of Chicago while awaiting trial
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A woman will go on trial this Monday on accusations of attacking a Chicago Police officer, stealing his sport-utility vehicle, and running him over back in 2022.
But since her arrest, it turns out the woman, Whitley Temple, has been hired by the City of Chicago.
Authorities said at the time that around 9:45 a.m. on Monday, June 13, 2022, officers found Temple lying naked in the street near Jackson Boulevard and Kostner Avenue in West Garfield Park. Authorities at the time said as officers helped Temple, she turned the tables and began to attack one of the officers.
Prosecutors said Temple, still naked, then drove off in the Chicago Police vehicle and drove over an officer – injuring his head and leg.
"A bunch of blood, trauma to the head, and it looked like he could barely walk. I'm hoping he'll be OK," eyewitness Ruben Dunning, who watched it all from his apartment window, said back at the time. "She took the car, drove off in it, and the officer got out of the car to try to help her, and she ran him over, and she was butt naked."
The defense attorney for Temple, 34, at the time told a court his client had been the victim of sexual assault before the incident – but did not elaborate. Despite that claim, the Cook County State's Attorney's office still went ahead and filed charges against Temple of attempted murder of a police officer, carjacking, aggravated battery of a police officer — among other charges.
The charges were filed two days after the incident.
Temple pleaded not guilty to the charges — and after nearly two years of delays, the case goes before a Cook County judge for trial on Monday.
But in the meantime, CBS 2 has learned Temple was hired earlier this year by the City of Chicago's Department of Family and Support Services as a lead accountant.
When asked if the city knew about the pending felony charges against her — and the fact that the victim was a Chicago Police Officer — a spokesperson said they could "not comment on personnel matters."
Requests for comment from Temple and her attorney on record have gone unanswered.
But then this week, sources told the CBS 2 Investigators Temple was fired from her job at Family and Support Services. When CBS 2 reached out to the city, a spokesperson would only say they "can now confirm that she is no longer with DFSS," and would not discuss any circumstances surrounding her departure.