Latest news with #ColbyChapman
CBS News
10-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Harvey, Illinois Ald. Colby Chapman returns to City Hall after latest arrest
Just days after an alderman in the south Chicago suburb of Harvey was arrested and charged with a felony, she was back at a Harvey City Council meeting. Ald. Colby Chapman (2nd) chalks the charges up to political retaliation by the mayor. Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark says no such thing is happening. The allegations stem from an April city council meeting where Chapman was removed from the meeting and charged with misdemeanors that were later dropped — but now she is faced with a felony from that same encounter. On Monday night, Chapman was back at Harvey City Hall. "Our city needs men who lead with integrity, love and courage," Chapman said at a City Council meeting. Late last week, Chapman turned herself in to Harvey police on a felony charge. In April, Mayor Clark said Chapman was disruptive at least three times, and asked the Harvey City Council to censure and remove her. Chapman was charged with misdemeanors for this encounter with officers. The charges were dropped last week by the Cook County State's Attorney's office. But a day later, the State's Attorney's office approved a new felony charge against Chapman of aggravated battery to a police officer for the same April incident. "This is my fourth time arrested, third time jailed," Chapman said. Chapman has been arrested before for incidents at City Hall. The charges have all later been dismissed. Chapman is a frequent critic of the mayor, and said she believes the mayor has unfairly targeted her. Mayor Clark denies any allegations of political retribution. "When the State's Attorney's office has an opportunity to make full review of the entirety of what happened on Monday, April the 28th, I think that they'll make a good decision, favorable," Chapman said. Back inside Harvey City Hall, some residents came to the defense of Chapman. "I'm sick and tired of you arresting Colby Chapman," said Harvey resident Mazurk Irvin. Meanwhile, some fellow aldermen accused chapman of grandstanding. "This is not a way to run a city," Irvin said. Mayor Clark said the video of the April City Council incident speaks for itself, and shows Ald. Chapman striking a police officer. The mayor added that the charges should send a clear message that no one is above the law. "For the next six months to the end of 2025, I'm hopeful that there will be no more arrests; that nobody will be silenced because they talked," said Chapman. The day Ald. Chapman turned herself in last week, she announced her candidacy for mayor. Chapman has also filed a civil lawsuit against the mayor.
CBS News
06-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Harvey, Illinois, Ald. Colby Chapman arrested again a day after charges are dropped
Political drama erupted in the south suburbs Thursday, as an alderwoman in Harvey was arrested. The latest arrest of Ald. Colby Chapman (2nd) comes just a day after the Cook County State's Attorney's office dropped charges stemming from a previous arrest at a Harvey City Council meeting. Chapman claimed this was all political retaliation from Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark, of whom Chapman is a vocal critic. Chapman has been arrested before at the mayor's direction, and each time, the charges have been dropped by the state's attorney. Chapman's attorney said he expects the charges will not be pursued this time either. Chapman showed up to the special Harvey City Council meeting Thursday expecting to get arrested. She held her mom's hand as she approached the doors to Harvey City Hall. "When I walk inside of City Hall, am likely going to be arrested on something I have no understanding on," she said. Chapman has been critical of Mayor Clark. In April, the mayor accused Chapman of being disruptive and ordered Chapman out of a city meeting. Officers led her out as she attempted to hold onto the door. The alderman was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting a police officer — both misdemeanors. On Wednesday, the Cook County State's Attorney dropped those charges. "What is going on in the City of Harvey?" Chapman said Thursday. "This is a catastrophe." Chapman said Harvey police officers came to her home Thursday on what she believed was a warrant for her arrest. This time, she was arrested on felony charges of aggravated battery to a police officer stemming from the same April City Council meeting. "One day later, here we are. The City of Harvey is back to its usual form arresting my client," said Chapman's attorney, Daniel Olswang. "It is a blatant and deeply troubling act of political retaliation. Last month, Mayor Clark commented on the April incident. "This is the weekly grandstanding we normally get from this council member," Clark said. On Thursday night, Chapman tried turning herself in at City Hall — but the handful of officers standing by would not put her in cuffs. "Why not arrest me in front of everyone?" she told an officer. "You said I did something. You said I committed a felony." Over at the Harvey police station, CBS News Chicago's cameras and Chapman's supporters were not allowed inside as she walked in. But Olswang was there, and said Chapman was read her rights and booked on one felony charge. "I've seen the video. There's no basis for the charges," said Olswang. "This is the fourth time they've arrested her." Mayor Clark said the Cook County State's Attorney's office approved the charges. He said the video of what happened at the April meeting speaks for itself, and added that it is not acceptable for anyone to put their hands on a police officer. He also denies allegations of political retaliation. Chapman will be in court Friday morning.
CBS News
04-06-2025
- General
- CBS News
Charges dropped against Harvey, Illinois, Ald. Colby Chapman after removal from City Council meeting
Cook County prosecutors on Wednesday dropped charges against Harvey Ald. Colby Chapman, who was arrested and removed from a City Council meeting in April. Chapman had been charged with disorderly conduct and resisting a police officer after she was arrested at the April 28 Harvey City Council meeting. At her first court appearance on Wednesday, prosecutors dropped the charges. Mayor Christopher Clark accused Chapman of being repeatedly disruptive at that meeting, and kept asking about an issue that had already been addressed, leading him to ask the council members to vote on censure Chapman and remove her from the meeting. Chapman said the city had sold a senior's home for $2,000, and she wanted to know why. Video shot by a frequent critic of the mayor, and shared on Chapman's aldermanic Facebook page, shows Chapman refusing to be removed. An officer then came to gather her belongings, prompting Chapman to say: "Don't touch my stuff!" Then Chapman pushed the officer, and was led out by police. She tried to stay in the meeting by holding onto the door. Harvey Chief of Police Cameron Biddings said she was later placed in handcuffs off camera. Clark has accused Chapman of repeatedly grandstanding at council meetings, and said she was censured and asked to leave council meetings twice before. Chapman's mother also was arrested at the meeting, and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Charges against her also were dropped on Wednesday. The video above is from an earlier report.
CBS News
07-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Harvey alderperson removed from city council meeting, arrested; accused of repeated disruptions
Emotions ran high at a recent city council meeting in south suburban Harvey, Illinois, as an alderperson was hauled off by police in the middle of the meeting. Mayor Christopher Clark said at the council's meeting on April 28, Ald. Colby Chapman (2nd Ward) kept bringing up a constituent's issue about a home that he claims had already been addressed. The mayor said Chapman was disruptive three times during that meeting, leading him to ask the council members to vote on censure Chapman and remove her from the meeting. "The 2nd Ward Alderman was out of order," Clark said. Video shot by a frequent critic of the mayor, and shared on Chapman's aldermanic Facebook page, shows Chapman refusing to be removed. An officer then came to gather her belongings, prompting Chapman to say: "Don't touch my stuff!" Then Chapman pushed the officer, and was led out by police. She tried to stay in the meeting by holding onto the door. Harvey Chief of Police Cameron Biddings said she was later placed in handcuffs off camera. "This is an opportunity for the usual biweekly grandstanding we normally get from this particular alderperson, which is why in my opinion that the other alderpersons were so readily available to issue a motion of censure, because this is not the first time that we've had to deal with this," Clark said. The mayor said Chapman has been censured and asked to leave city council meetings on two other occasions. During the incident on April 28, she was arrested and charged with battery of a law enforcement officer, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. Biddings said Chapman's mother was also arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. "There's a barrier that we have inside of city hall, and we don't allow residents to come past, and during the commotion her mother walked past that barrier. We asked her to step back. She didn't want to do so we ended up having her escorted out. She walked out following her daughter, and then when we were asking them to leave the facility, she did not want to leave the building," Biddings said. When asked for comment, Chapman said she'll be having a news conference on May 12 at 6 p.m. at Harvey City Hall.
