From the Chicago Justice Project, dedicated to bringing transparency to Chicago's justice system.

Clauzell Gause

Case #: 20PB2972
Police badge #: 14001
Download original case files
- 20PB2972_Decision.pdf

Recommendation Termination
Decision Return to duty
Length of process 12 months May 22, 2020 to May 20, 2021 Closed

Investigative Agency Not Specified

Charged with violating 2 rules on 2 counts

Show all counts


Rule 14	1 count	Making a false report, written or oral. Count 1 Not Guilty On or about July 6, 2018, at approximately 8:35 a.m., at 1615 West Chicago Avenue in Chicago, at the offices of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (“COPA”), Police Officer Clauzell Gause, during an audio-recorded interview, provided false information to COPA, in that he stated he did not make contact with Rayshon Gartley’s face or head when he performed a closed-hand strike, or words to that effect.
Rule 2	1 count	Any action or conduct which impedes the Department's efforts to achieve its policy and goals or brings discredit upon the Department. Count 1 Not Guilty On or about July 6, 2018, at approximately 8:35 a.m., at 1615 West Chicago Avenue in Chicago, at the offices of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (“COPA”), Police Officer Clauzell Gause, during an audio-recorded interview, provided false information to COPA, in that he stated he did not make contact with Rayshon Gartley’s face or head when he performed a closed-hand strike, or words to that effect.

Rule 14

1 count

Making a false report, written or oral.

Rule 2

1 count

Any action or conduct which impedes the Department's efforts to achieve its policy and goals or brings discredit upon the Department.

Board Member Votes & Decisions

Majority Decision

0 agreed

Agreed with the final decision of the board

0 disagreed

Disagreed with the final decision of the board

0 did not vote

Did not vote or were not present for voting

The Board is without sufficient information to find that markings were the result of a blow delivered by Respondent, as opposed to one of the alternative possibilities. Finally, the video evidence does not establish that contact was made. There were two videos that depicted the scene in the observation room from two different angles. In both videos, Respondent can be seen pushing Gartley to the wall and then raising his arm to punch Gartley around the face and the head.

Minority Opinions

It is important to understand the cases detailed here are a significant minority of the total complaints filed against officers. A typical year sees about 3–5% of complaints against officers result in a sustained finding of misconduct. A very small percentage of those sustained findings result in discipline that would require the police board to get involved. The data used for this website is taken directly from Police Board documents. The documents were obtained through the Illinois Freedom of Information act. All the documents used as the basis of this website are available for download from the individual case pages. The Chicago Justice Project is an independent transparency organization and is not affiliated in any way with the Chicago Police Board or any other justice agency in Chicago or Cook County.

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