Report: Chicago mayor's bodyguard suspended
He was 'agitated' and 'speaking loudly' according to the report, which also described his behavior on the evening of January 20 as 'erratic'. When questioned by a supervising officer, Najera allegedly admitted to boozing the day away at a swanky event at the city's Trump Tower prior to his arrival. A subsequent breathalyzer test revealed Najera's blood alcohol content to be 0.134 percent - well over Illinois ' legal limit of 0.08 percent, according to Chicago Police Department internal affairs records.
Following the test, Najera was stripped of his police powers, his gun was confiscated and he was taken to the 15th District station for further questioning. The next day, he turned in his ID, badge and hat shield. He has been reassigned to a different department within the police force. A 25-day suspension has been recommended but has not yet been served. Najera put the phone down when contacted for comment by DailyMail.com.
Trump Tower hosted a viewing event from 10am to 3pm prior to Najera's shift. At around 7pm that night, he demanded that a uniformed colleague allow him to sit in a CPD squad car, according to the report. When a uniformed officer refused, Najera called the department's 18th District station to file a complaint against his colleague. A supervisor from the 18th District then contacted a sergeant overseeing the mayor's detail, leading to a confrontation when Najera arrived at the politician's home.
'PO Najera was agitated, speaking loudly and avoiding eye contact while explaining the event,' the sergeant wrote in a report. 'His behavior was very uncharacteristic and erratic from the normal behavior (the sergeant) knows PO Najera to display '(The sergeant) asked PO Najera if he had been drinking while at the Trump Tower and he said he was having fun with his family.
'(The sergeant) again asked if PO Najera had anything to drink and PO Najera answered in the affirmative - Yes.' Najera claimed his last drink was consumed around 6:30 pm, two and a half hours before his shift began. Multiple CPD supervisors were notified following the sergeant's alleged outburst and the disciplinary process quickly followed.
A CPD spokesperson said Najera has since been reassigned to the department's Alternate Response Section. Najera, who joined the Chicago Police Department in 2017, had been assigned to Johnson's security detail since August 2023. According to records cited by the Chicago Tribune , he has no prior misconduct complaints and has never been the subject of a Summary Punishment Action Request, an internal disciplinary measure for minor infractions. Neither the Chicago Police Department nor Mayor Johnson's office has publicly commented on the suspension.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
4 minutes ago
- The Independent
Fossil fuels are ‘flailing and failing' as world enters new energy era, says UN chief
The age of fossil fuels is nearing its end and a clean energy revolution is well underway, UN secretary-general António Guterres said on Tuesday, urging governments to accelerate the shift before it is too late. 'We are on the cusp of a new era. Fossil fuels are running out of road. The sun is rising on a clean energy age,' Mr Guterres said in a speech in New York. 'I have never been more confident that they will fail – because we have passed the point of no return.' Backed by the latest figures from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Mr Guterres said that renewables made up 92.5 per cent of new electricity capacity last year. Investment in clean energy reached $2 trillion in 2024 – nearly $800bn more than what flowed into fossil fuels. 'The clean energy future is no longer a promise. It's a fact,' he said. 'No government. No industry. No special interest can stop it.' Despite his optimistic tone, the UN chief warned that the transition is still too slow and uneven, particularly in developing nations that lack access to finance and technology. He called on wealthy countries and major tech firms to lead the charge by committing to 100% renewable-powered operations by 2030. 'The energy transition is unstoppable,' he said. 'But the transition is not yet fast enough or fair enough.' The remarks marked a notable shift in tone from previous UN warnings that focused on the escalating dangers of global heating. This time, Mr Guterres framed the energy transition as an economic and security imperative. 'Countries that cling to fossil fuels are not protecting their economies – they are sabotaging them,' he said. 'Driving up costs. Undermining competitiveness. Locking-in stranded assets. And missing the greatest economic opportunity of the 21st century.' 'There are no price spikes for sunlight. No embargoes on wind. Renewables mean real energy security. Real energy sovereignty. And real freedom from fossil-fuel volatility.' More than 90 per cent of renewable energy projects today are cheaper than fossil fuel alternatives, according to IRENA. Solar power is now 41 per cent cheaper than the lowest-cost fossil fuel option, while onshore wind is less than half the price. Still, major gaps remain. A UN report released alongside IRENA's data warned that grid investment is failing to keep pace with the boom in renewables. For every dollar spent on clean generation, only 60 cents is going into infrastructure – when parity is needed to support the transition. Critical mineral supplies also remain a concern, as do geopolitical tensions and trade disputes that could raise costs or slow momentum. Yet Mr Guterres insisted the shift is already transforming lives – and holds vast potential for regions like sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia where energy access remains limited. 'You can't build a coal plant in someone's backyard,' he said. 'But you can deliver solar panels to the most remote village on earth.' Environmental groups welcomed the speech. Bill Hare, CEO of Climate Analytics, said: 'Any investment in new fossil fuels now is a fool's gamble, while joining the race to renewables can only bring benefits – not just jobs and cheaper energy at stable prices, but energy independence and access where it's needed most.' Shady Khalil, senior global policy strategist at Oil Change International, said the speech sent a clear signal that 'the fossil fuel era is ending and the renewable energy transition is now unstoppable.' But he warned that 'Global North countries like the US, Canada, Norway, and Australia are still gearing up for massive oil and gas expansion,' calling it 'reckless and gluttonous short-termism' that would backfire on their economies. Jacobo Ocharan, head of political strategies at Climate Action Network International, said Guterres was 'on the money' in calling for a transition that delivers 'equity, dignity and opportunity for all.' He said COP30 must produce a roadmap 'grounded in human rights, justice and equity' rather than remaining stuck in 'the polluting and unfair past, which is where the fossil fuel industry wants us trapped.' Mr Guterres called on countries to use their updated national climate plans – due in September – to slash fossil fuel subsidies and invest in clean energy. The message, he said, was not about sacrifice but smart economics. 'This is not just a shift in power,' he said. 'This is a shift in possibility. This is our moment of opportunity.'
Daily Mail
5 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Obama responds powerfully to Trump's Russia hoax prosecution threat
Former President Barack Obama tore into Donald Trump in a rare and blistering statement after the president dramatically accused him of 'treason' and said the Justice Department should probe his rival over the Russia 'hoax.' 'Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response. But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one, said Patrick Rodenbush, a spokesman for Obama's office. 'These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction,' he added. The former president's spokesman then turned to the report of Tulsi Gabbard (pictured), the director of national intelligence, who alleged that the Obama administration 'manufactured and politicized intelligence' against Trump. 'Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes. These findings were affirmed in a 2020 report by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, led by then-Chairman Marco Rubio.' That last lined needled Trump's secretary of state and national security advisor, who was seated next to the president during his extended discourse on Obama and his team. Trump and Obama have a fraught relationship, although they were spotted chatting in what appeared to be amiable fashion at Jimmy Carter's funeral in January. Trump rode 'birther' conspiracies about Obama to influence in his first successful run for president. And Obama's roasting of Trump at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in 2011 still looms large in Trump's inspiration to finally pursue the White House. The pushback from Obama's team came after Trump issued an extraordinary call Tuesday to investigate the former president – saying he had been caught 'cold' and accusing his predecessor of 'treason.' Trump issued his stunning series of attacks on the two-term Democratic president shortly after being asked yet another question about Jeffrey Epstein – a matter that is itself so explosive that House Republican leaders sent members home on recess, thereby avoiding a difficult vote on the issue. 'I don't follow it too much,' he said of the Epstein matter. Trump attempted to turn the tables, referring repeatedly to a new report released by his Director of National Intelligence that accused Obama of being behind a 'treasonous conspiracy' to fabricate what Trump repeatedly calls the Russia 'hoax' to bring him down. Intel chief Tulsi Gabbard made a series of criminal referrals to Pam Bondi's (pictured) Justice Department and the agency is reportedly considering the request. 'After what they did to me, whether it's right or wrong, it's time to go after people,' Trump said while seated next to Philippine President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos, Jr. in the Oval Office. Trump was asked who the Justice Department should investigate following the report's release for a potential criminal referral. He didn't hesitate to name Obama and top members of his security team. 'It would be President Obama – who started it – and Biden was there with him, and [James] Comey was there, and [James] Clapper, the whole group was there,' Trump responded. At another point, Trump said Attorney General Pam Bondi should 'act' on the matter – while also indicating it was at her discretion. 'We have a very competent, very good, very loyal to our country person in Pam Bondi – very respected. And she – it's going to be her decision,' Trump said. Trump repeated calls to prosecute a wide circle of former Democratic officials come after he posted AI-generated video images of Obama being arrested and thrown in jail wearing an orange jumpsuit. Trump accused his rivals of organizing a failed 'coup' in 2016, when he defeated Hillary Clinton and captured the White House. Trump faced four criminal trials during his last campaign, with the January 6 case, his Florida classified documents case, and his New York 'hush money' case all vanishing after he won the election and captured the White House. A New York jury convicted him of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, but it proved to be a rallying cry for his base and part of his campaign message that nefarious forces would do anything to try and halt his comeback. The president fingered Obama for trying to 'head a coup' with acolytes like former FBI Director James Comey and former DNI Director James Clapper doing his dirty work. Trump also called the Steele report, which examined his campaign's ties to Russia, as 'all lies' and a 'fabrication.' The Mueller Report found that while Russia did interfere in the 2016 election, the Trump campaign did not conspire or coordinate with the Russian government, despite at least 140 contacts between the Trump campaign and Russian nationals. Trump has hammered his rivals for what he calls 'no collusion' ever since, even though Mueller himself never used that term.
Daily Mail
5 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trump announces $550 billion Japan trade deal
President Donald Trump announced he had reached a new trade deal with Japan, terming it 'the largest deal in history' as he celebrated with Republican lawmakers at the White House. The president announced a new 15 percent tariff on Japanese imports – down from a threatened 25 percent. The pep rally came on a day Trump's White House was whipsawed by the Jeffrey Epstein controversy, with the president cheerfully proclaiming a win hours after tearing into predecessor Barack Obama. 'I just signed, and it was really helped a lot by our big, beautiful deal that we just did,' Trump said in the East Room of the White House at a reception with Republican members of Congress. 'But I just signed the largest trade deal in history, I think maybe the largest deal in history, Japan,' Trump said. He repeatedly gushed about its size, saying, 'This is, they say, the biggest deal ever made.' Trump, who had earlier announced deals with Indonesia and the Philippines as an August 1 deadline he declared after pausing his 'reciprocal' tariffs approaches, told lawmakers there were more talks in the works. Failure to reach agreements after his administration promised '90 deals in 90 days' could spark yet another market meltdown, something Trump is eager to avoid as he touts surging markets. 'We have Europe coming in tomorrow,' said Trump, days after reports of the tariffs he could slap on the European Union. Trump announced the deals minutes after posting about it on Truth Social. 'Japan will invest, at my direction, $550 Billion Dollars into the United States, which will receive 90% of the Profits,' Trump said, without spelling out how the investments would be calculated. Japan is already a top U.S. investor. Trump said it would create 'hundreds of thousands of jobs.' 'Perhaps most importantly, Japan will open their Country to Trade including Cars and Trucks, Rice and certain other Agricultural Products, and other things. Japan will pay Reciprocal Tariffs to the United States of 15 percent,' Trump wrote. 'This is a very exciting time for the United States of America, and especially for the fact that we will continue to always have a great relationship with the Country of Japan. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' Trump concluded. Trump said the country was 'becoming very rich again,' although some of the market's recent gains came after Trump hit 'pause' on his tariff decisions and backed off his repeated threats to fire Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. Trump also dangled further talks. 'We're going to make a deal with Japan on the LNG in Alaska,' Trump said. A deal with Japan that puts off an escalatory trade war would restore some stability to a major trade relationship. Trump cranked up the pressure earlier this month when he threatened to slap a 25 percent tariff on Japan and South Korea – both key political allies – if they didn't reach an agreement by August 1. He also lauded House Republicans who jammed through his 'big, beautiful bill,' and promised to lend them political support. 'We're going to make all those robo calls for you,' Trump said, on a day he once again threatened to go after 'no' vote Thomas Massie (R-Ky.). 'There's been no Congress like this Congress in terms of achievement,' Trump said. He called out birthdays and anniversaries in the crowd, and spoke about House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise after he suffered a shooting. 'He was going to be a goner,' Trump said. 'You look better now than you did then,' he told him. 'We're so grateful for you,' Housing Secretary Scott Turner told the president when Trump invited him to say grace. 'You are a tremendous leader and we thank God for you,' he told Trump before the prayer. 'Thank you for giving us favor to pass this big, beautiful bill,' Turner said during the prayer of the bill that passed the House 218-214 with Trump losing just two Republican votes. Trump took the opportunity to praise Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, on a day he accused Barack Obama of 'treason' and applied pressure for him to be investigated over the origins of the Russia probe in 2016. 'Where's Tulsi? She's like hotter than everybody. She's the hottest one in the room right now,' Trump said. Trump repeated his claim that 'Obama cheated on the election,' after Obama slammed his earlier attacks. 'With your stamina, you know we can never sleep,' Speaker Mike Johnson told Trump when he took the microphone.
