Chicago Police Sergeant Who Works To Solve And Prevent Carjackings Charged With DUI -- And Not For First Time
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Carjackings in Chicago are out of control, and one police sergeant whose job it is to crack down on those carjackings has found himself in trouble of his own – charged with drunken driving.
As CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov reported Tuesday night, this is not the first time.
As Chicago Police try to get a handle on the skyrocketing number of carjackings in the city, Chicago Police Sgt. Thomas Parham - who works to solve and prevent them - spent some of his day in a virtual courtroom charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.
Parham, 52, did not enter a plea in the incident. But he is charged with DUI, illegally transporting alcohol, and improper lane usage for an incident on Dec. 4 on Interstate 57 near downstate Cairo.
Parham works in the CPD's Vehicular Hijacking Unit – in an annex out of the Central (1st) District, 1718 S. State St. A department representative said Parham ahs been relieved of his police powers pending an internal investigation, as policy dictates.
But records show this was not Parham's first issue with drinking and driving. In 2012, he was suspended for 25 days after getting a DUI in the far western suburbs.
What the CPD representative could not comment on was how Parham's discipline will impact the CPD's carjacking crackdown efforts – at a time when incidents have more than doubled in the past year.
A judge granted CBS 2 access to Parham's court hearing on Tuesday morning. Parham, a 27-year department veteran, attended the virtual hearing from a car.
It was not clear whether he was in the driver's seat or the passenger's seat during the 11 a.m. proceedings.
Calls to Parham's downstate attorney were not returned.
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