HARVEY, Ill. — A new controversy is brewing in the south suburbs after a Harvy city official claims she was arrested after she criticized the mayor.
Alderwoman Colby Chapman represents Harvey’s second ward. But on Wednesday, she said she spent five hours in jail, in what she calls a politically motivated abuse of power.
“I’m in the back of the police car. The video is slightly turned because I’m in handcuffs,” Chapman said while streaming on Facebook Live Wednesday morning.
Chapman’s attorney says she was later released without charges.
“I’ve always used my platform to stand for the residents here in the 2nd ward and serve the City of Harvey, and I believe, overall, my servitude is agitating to certain pieces of the administration,” Chapman said.
Chapman’s attorney, Rob Hanlon, said he felt the officers had no basis to arrest her.
“The Harvey police department has come to the conclusion, but only after having arrested my client and having my client stay in custody for in excess of 5 hours, that they didn’t have a basis to arrest Ms. Chapman,” Hanlon said.
The arrest for an alleged false report stems from an incident between Chapman and the Harvey City Administrator in August, which was captured on surveillance video. Following the incident, Chapman was arrested then, too.
“I simply am here to do my job,” Chapman said. “And I simply just want to be able to do that as opposed to being arrested, falsely targeted.”
Chapman pointed to her criticism of Mayor Cristopher Clark as the reason for her arrest. Criticism that’s gotten her escorted out of city council meetings.
“I’ve worked adamantly to get questions answered and specifically around our financial landscape, those questions are always met with some authoritarian rebuttal,” Chapman said.
When WGN-TV called the mayor for comment, his PR representative sent a statement, which included a quote from Harvey’s police chief.
The Harvey Police Department has arrested Colby Chapman, Alderwoman of the 2nd Ward, for filing a false police report following an investigation into her claims about an incident after a City Council meeting on Aug. 14, 2024.
Chapman reported that she was pushed and battered by city administrator Corean Davis after the meeting. Several police officers and witnesses were present, and surveillance footage from City Hall showed that the incident did not occur as described by Chapman.
While Chapman accused Davis of committing a Class 3 felony, video evidence and witness accounts contradicted her allegations. Despite the Harvey Police Department’s findings, the Cook County State’s Attorney decided not to pursue formal charges.
“We take the filing of false police reports very seriously, especially when it involves a public official in a position of trust,” said Harvey Police Chief Cameron Biddings. “Filing a false report wastes valuable resources and undermines public trust. While it’s unfortunate the Cook County State’s Attorney (Kim Fox) chose not to prosecute her sorority sister (Colby Chapman), our investigation clearly shows a contradiction in Chapman’s claims.”
Chapman was taken into custody and released without incident or charges on Oct. 16, 2024. The Harvey Police Department will continue working with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office to ensure justice.
As the investigation is ongoing, further details will not be released at this time. The public is asked to refrain from speculation and allow the judicial process to proceed. Updates will be provided through official channels.
Spokesperson for the City of Harvey
“We should be thankful that at least, you know, one person in the Harvey police department realized it was not advisable to continue to just follow the blind instructions from a mayor that doesn’t have the power to direct, you know, people being arrested to begin with,” Hanlon said.
While no charges were filed today, police said their investigation into the matter continues.
Chapma’s attorney said he plans to file a federal civil rights lawsuit, as early as this week, over the arrest and more.