Chicago police union chief who called on officers to defy vaccine orders retiring from department

The head of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7, Chicago’s largest police union, announced his intention to retire from the Chicago Police Department on Monday.

The announcement came shortly after John Catanzara took the stand in a disciplinary hearing, which highlighted his past conduct and social media posts. The hearing, which could have resulted in his firing, is expected to last three days, though a decision on any disciplinary action is not expected until early next year, the Chicago Tribune reported. 

Despite stepping down as an officer, Catanzara noted that he would continue to lead the police union. 

“The city has to deal with me. That’s been the point I’ve always made. The mayor can hate me all she wants,” he said, according to the Tribune. “I’m still the elected member and leader of this union.”

At the same time, Catanzara also announced that he planned to run for mayor in 2023 and made remarks that highlighted his antagonistic relationship with current Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D), according to the newspaper.

“There was never a possibility under God’s green earth that I was ever going to give this mayor the ability to utter the words, ‘I fired him,’ ” he said.

Catanzara has been a police officer since 1995. He garnered attention recently as a result of his staunch opposition to COVID-19 vaccine mandates, a stance that resulted in the city suing him last month. 

“President Catanzara has time and again deliberately misled our police officers by lying about the requirements of the policy and falsely claiming that there will be no repercussions if officers are insubordinate and refuse to follow a City and Department directive or order,” Lightfoot previously said of Catanzara’s response to the vaccine mandate.

The Hill has reached out to Catanzara and Lightfoot for comment. 

Updated at 1:34 p.m.