Bad Tactics

And it ended with a suspension day:

• A Chicago police officer will serve a one-day suspension and undergo additional training after the city’s police oversight agency found he pointed his firearm at a 19-year-old driver and told him, “I’ll light you up!” during a December 2024 traffic stop.

  Video of the incident, which occurred as CPD broke up a “street takeover” in the West Loop, circulated widely online, and the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) launched its investigation after someone tagged the agency in the video’s comment section on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Note that COPA "discovered" this video after someone tagged them on social media:

• During the stop, Officer (JE) positioned himself in front of Pena’s car and pointed his firearm toward the driver, according to videos recorded by a passerby and someone in Pena’s vehicle. [Officer (JE)] told investigators the stop raised safety concerns because Pena was wearing a face mask, was slow to respond to English-language commands, and the officer could not always see the occupants’ hands. [Officer (JE)] also claimed he spotted what appeared to be a replica weapon through the driver’s window. Pena was ultimately arrested on traffic-related charges and cited for possession of fireworks and a replica weapon, but prosecutors dropped all charges in February 2025.

  [Officer (JE)] described his statement, “I’ll light you up! as a “verbal slip” intended to gain compliance, but acknowledged it could be interpreted as “I’m going to shoot you.” He also acknowledged that standing in front of the vehicle was not the “smartest” or “safest” position, but said it gave him a better view of the driver.

How does the Order read? Something like "Officers will not deliberately place themselves in harm's way" or "in the path of the vehicle" which was interpreted as attempts to provoke a shooting.

No one would have batted an eye if he had stationed himself behind nearby cover (building, car door, tree, etc). It might not be optimal, but directly in the path - front or back - is asking for a review that isn't going to go your way.