The officer's weapon left unattended in the bathroom of the court building

The Chicago police department opened an internal examination on Thursday after the weapon of an officer in a bathroom of the Leighton Criminal Court building was unattended.

The firearm was discovered on Thursday at 10:20 a.m. in a bathroom on the sixth floor of the court building, official said.

The Cook County's Sheriff office, which offers the courthouse for security, was notified and decided that the weapon heard a CPD officer, according to Sheriff's spokesman Matt Walberg.

The office of the sheriff then notified CPD and the weapon was returned to the officer while they were still in the courthouse, Walberg added.

A CPD spokesman said the department had opened an investigation into internal affairs to determine how the weapon remained unattended.

The name and current order of the officer within the CPD were not known on Thursday.

Originally published: March 13, 2025 at 3:12 pm PM CDT