A Chicago Police Department deputy chief and another officer were charged with criminal damage to property Thursday for allegedly slashing the tires of a vehicle in Humboldt Park during the neighborhood’s annual Puerto Rican Fest last June, according to a source familiar with the charges. .
Roberto Nieves, 53, deputy chief of Precinct 5 on the Northwest Side, and Officer Jacob Gies, 26, turned themselves in to CPD’s Central District (1st) station on Thursday, the department said in a statement. Nieves is charged with a single misdemeanor count of criminal damage to property while Gies faces two counts.
CPD said the charges stemmed from “an incident that occurred on June 7, 2024.” The source with knowledge of the charge said officers slashed the tires of a civilian’s vehicle during an incident in an alley near Puerto Rican Fest.
Nieves and Gies were both stripped of their police powers Thursday, according to a CPD spokesperson. Nieves was also reinstated to the rank of captain. Neither could be reached for comment.
Nieves was named Deputy Chief of Precinct 5 in January 2020. He was previously commander of CPD’s Gang Investigation Division, as well as the Rogers Park District (24th) on the North Side.
A press release from CPD announcing his promotion noted that Nieves holds “a high-level federal security clearance, having overseen the department’s federal task forces as commander of intelligence and gang investigations.”
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