Former cop convicted of perjury
A former Chicago Police officer was convicted of perjury Friday for lying that she was hit by a glass bottle in the face while driving to work on the South Side.
It was clear Sylshina London “made up” the attack stemming from the March 2010 incident, Cook County Judge Joseph Claps said, delivering his verdict.
Debra Green, the woman London accused of tossing the bottle, wept and hugged relatives upon hearing London was guilty. Green declined to comment. Because of London’s false accusations, Green had been convicted of a misdemeanor battery.
But the conviction was thrown out when a police surveillance camera showed that London’s Lexus window appeared to have been rolled up when her and Green’s cars were parallel to each other.
London wept when she took the stand at her bench trial last month, saying that the video only captured when her window had been rolled up — after several bottles were thrown at her car.
London, 37, said she rolled up her window after Green threw the first bottle — supposedly irate that London was weaving in and out of traffic during the funeral procession for Green’s sister.
But prosecutors noted London never mentioned more than one bottle thrown her way at Green’s trial.
Green, 32, testified that she didn’t toss anything at the then-police officer. She said she only pointed to an orange funeral sticker and said, “It’s a funeral. It’s a funeral.”
London has since resigned from the police department after nine years as an officer.
She faces probation or up to five years in prison when she is sentenced March 5.