A seasoned Chicago police officer has agreed to a plea deal, resulting in the loss of his badge after admitting to striking an eighth-grade boy during an off-duty visit to a South Side elementary school two years prior.
Craig Lancaster, 56, has been sentenced to 18 months of supervision and mandated to complete eight hours of anger management following a plea agreement that saw prosecutors downgrade the initial felony charge of aggravated battery to a misdemeanor for disorderly conduct.
Lancaster has decided to step down from his role as a police officer, concluding nearly three decades of service with the Chicago Police Department. In late 2023, an indictment was issued following the release of a video by the Tribune, which captured Lancaster hitting 14-year-old JaQuwaun Williams near the throat as the boy entered Gresham Elementary School that May.
The family of the teenager has initiated a civil lawsuit against both Lancaster and the city of Chicago, alleging that the city has fostered a culture of impunity within the police force by neglecting to investigate and hold accountable those involved in misconduct. A recent settlement has been reached between the family and the city of Lancaster, with details of the amount remaining confidential, as per federal court documents.
On Thursday, the court hearing saw the attendance of the boy’s grandparents, Lynida Williams-Saddler and Vincent Suttles, accompanied by their attorney, Jordan Marsh. A high school basketball player at Simeon Career Academy was notably absent from the group.
Williams-Saddler reported that her grandson is recovering, but the incident has regrettably shaped his view of law enforcement in a negative light. The grandmother expressed her contentment with the plea deal.
“I think it was (fair) because (Lancaster) had to go through a lot too,” she said, “and that’s a good thing because he shouldn’t have put his hands on a child.”
The attorney for the family stated that Lancaster first refuted any contact with the teenager. The family attributed the school surveillance footage as the key factor in prompting the criminal charges.
“We wouldn’t be anywhere without cameras,” Marsh said. “That’s maybe the biggest difference in law enforcement accountability in the last 30 years … because it would all be ‘he said, she said’ without cameras. There’s something about law enforcement, even today, that they get a lot of benefit of the doubt that, in my experience, they don’t deserve.”
Lancaster submitted the plea in front of Cook County Judge Adrienne Davis at the Leighton Criminal Court Building. He turned down the judge’s invitation to address the court.
Lancaster attorney Tim Grace has expressed his belief that prosecutors overstepped by filing felony charges against him, which could result in a prison sentence of up to five years. Grace highlighted that Lancaster, a proud father of two grown children, holds a master’s degree and dedicated almost three decades to serving as a police officer in Chicago.
On the morning of May 18, 2023, Lancaster arrived at the school to deliver money to his girlfriend, a teacher who was guiding students into the building ahead of the start of classes. At the time, he was not on duty. Authorities reported that the educator had left the school entrance ajar, seemingly leading to uncertainty regarding whether students should be assembling or allowed to enter.
City records reveal that Lancaster has encountered close to 30 claims of misconduct. The bulk of the allegations involved use-of-force incidents, notably in 2004 and 2006, when individuals in distinct cases claimed he had seized them by the neck or throat.
