John Catanzara

The embattled president of Chicago’s police union, who once defended the Capitol riot as a mere “inconvenience” devoid of violence and referred to Muslims as “savages” on social media, retired from the department Tuesday morning November 15 2021 —then claimed he’s running for mayor of the Windy City. Catanzara joined the Chicago Police Department45 in 1995 and was elected the union's president, becoming the first president of the FOP to be elected while stripped of his police powers. Since he joined the department, Catanzara has been one of its most frequently disciplined members. Catanzara has remained at odds with Mayor Lori Lightfoot, often criticizing her for her response to crime. Most recently, the two have butt heads over the city’s vaccine mandate. Four years ago, officials launched an investigation over obscene and inflammatory statements that John Catanzara made on social media.