Chicago’s police oversight agency found that Chicago Police Officer Cortney Jackson choked his girlfriend, dragged her down a flight of stairs, threw her to the ground, and stomped on her leg during an October 2019 domestic dispute. COPA recommended a suspension of 180 days up to termination. Nine days ago all five sustained findings were reversed to not sustained after CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling successfully challenged every conclusion COPA reached. Officer Jackson received no discipline.

A Chicago Police officer walked away with no discipline after the city’s police oversight agency found he choked his girlfriend until she nearly lost consciousness, dragged her down a flight of stairs, threw her to the ground, and stomped on her leg during a 2019 domestic dispute, only for the Police Department to successfully challenge every finding and have them all reversed nine days ago.

At approximately 6:50 a.m. on October 16, 2019 a woman flagged down a University of Chicago campus police officer near 55th Street after fleeing a domestic dispute with her boyfriend Chicago Police Officer Cortney Jackson Star 19075 of the 2nd District according to a COPA Report.

The campus officer transported her to the University of Chicago Hospital where medical personnel documented multiple scratches to her neck, jaw line, and chest as well as a hematoma and abrasion on her right shin. Hospital staff discharged her with instructions consistent with her being a victim of domestic violence and provided her with contact information for a domestic violence counselor.

The woman told responding Chicago Police officers and hospital personnel that Officer Jackson had grabbed her by the neck, dragged her down the stairs, threw her to the ground, and stomped on her right leg. She said he choked her until she thought she was about to lose consciousness. She missed more than two weeks of work following the incident according to attendance records.

The woman did not initially identify Officer Jackson as a Chicago Police officer. It was not until approximately three months later when she contacted a CPD Domestic Violence Coordinator that Jackson was identified as the accused.

Officer Jackson denied the allegations in his statement to COPA. He said the couple argued after he returned home from a shift and that the woman grabbed his shirt and they fell down the stairs together. He said the only intentional physical contact was placing his hand on her chest to prevent her from grabbing his belongings as he tried to leave.

What COPA Originally Found

COPA investigated the complaint and reached sustained findings on all five allegations against Officer Jackson in January 2024 more than four years after the incident.

COPA found Jackson grabbed the woman by the neck and applied pressure to her throat without justification.

COPA found Jackson dragged her down a flight of stairs.

COPA found Jackson threw her to the ground.

COPA found Jackson stomped and kicked her on the leg.

COPA also found Jackson attempted to influence the outcome of the investigation by handing his girlfriend a piece of paper with the COPA investigator’s contact information and telling her to call and say she did not want to give a statement two days before his own COPA interview.

COPA determined the woman’s account was credible because it remained consistent across multiple tellings over more than three years including to the responding CPD officer, hospital personnel, a CPD domestic violence coordinator, and COPA investigators. COPA noted there was no apparent motive for her to fabricate the allegations.

COPA recommended a suspension of 180 days up to separation from the Chicago Police Department. That is the most serious disciplinary recommendation COPA can make short of termination.

CPD Pushed Back

On February 6, 2025 Superintendent Larry Snelling issued a formal non-concurrence challenging all five sustained findings and COPA’s recommended discipline.

Snelling argued that the victim’s accounts were unrecorded and inconsistent and that without a formal statement from her there was insufficient evidence to sustain the domestic battery allegations. He argued that Officer Jackson’s recorded statement given under threat of administrative punishment if he lied was more reliable than the victim’s unrecorded accounts.

Snelling also challenged the investigation finding on attempting to influence COPA saying that Jackson simply encouraged his girlfriend to contact COPA even if it was just to say she did not want to cooperate and that this resulted in COPA getting its only account from her.

CPD requested COPA reopen the investigation to obtain additional evidence including testimony from third party witnesses. COPA declined to reopen the investigation.

The Final Outcome

Following negotiations between COPA and CPD all five original sustained findings were reversed in a supplemental report approved July 22, 2026.

All four domestic battery findings were changed to not sustained.

The finding that Officer Jackson attempted to influence the COPA investigation was also changed to not sustained.

Officer Jackson received no discipline.

Chicago Crime Chaser searched Cook County court records and CPD arrest records for any criminal case connected to the October 2019 incident. No criminal charges were ever filed against Officer Jackson in connection with the incident.

COPA stated it maintains that its initial findings and recommendations are appropriate but agreed to the settlement in the interests of resolution.

Officer Jackson has received 43 awards and recognitions during his career and has no prior disciplinary history.