SNEED: McCarthy shell-shocked
Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy was blindsided Tuesday. It was as abrupt as it gets. On Monday, he had a job. On Tuesday, he was fired. Sneed is told McCarthy, who had the rug pulled out from under him by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, met with hizzoner in his City Hall office on Monday to talk about the future. McCarthy left with his job intact. But there was a caveat. Emanuel also instructed McCarthy to head back to the mayor’s office the next day with a solution to the uproar caused over the police shooting of Laquan McDonald and the execution of 9-year-old
Tyshawn Lee threatening to shut down the city — and the distraction caused by him staying in office.
It’s not known what “solution” McCarthy was going to present to the mayor — because McCarthy was abruptly called, while making the morning rounds of TV shows, by Emanuel on Tuesday and fired.
Sneed is told McCarthy was shell-shocked.
“McCarthy wasn’t the problem, but the mayor felt it was a distraction that wasn’t going to go away,” a top Sneed source said.
A McCarthy memo
Sneed hears that McCarthy, who is now the first vice president of the Major Cities Chiefs Police Association, had considered retiring after his heart attack in 2014 and as recently as six months ago.
Sneed also is told McCarthy was being considered as a possible head of security for a national sports league back then, but he decided to soldier on a while longer armed with Emanuel’s public support.
“He has considered going into the private sector several times but continued to put it off,” the source said.
McCarthy, who hails from the Bronx, was reportedly one of three finalists in a job search to become head of the New York Police Department — but he expressed disinterest in leaving his adopted hometown.
McCarthy loves Chicago. His wife, Kristin Barnette McCarthy, practices law here. Both have expressed a desire in the past to continue living in Chicago.
Stay tuned.
A McCarthy replacement
Pssst! Although Emanuel has placed highly respected
First
Deputy Police Supt. John J.
Escalante in charge while searching for a new top cop, Sneed hears a new name has surfaced as a possible candidate.
To wit: Retired Deputy Police
Supt. Charles Williams, who is now head of the city’s Streets and Sanitation Department.
Playing for time?
So when did Emanuel decide to pink-slip his top cop?
Sneed is told he had already planned to get away from the heat later this week by heading to Paris to ostensibly discuss climate change.
The big question: Was Rahm actually heading out of town to flee McCarthy fallout?
On Tuesday, Rahm said Paris plans were not firm.
A Laquan tribute
In case you haven’t seen it on Instagram: Miami Heat’s Dwyane
Wade, who hails from Robbins, paid tribute to Laquan McDonald by writing “#LaquanMcDonald,” “#Chicago” and “#Justice” on his shoes before the New York Knicks game last Friday.
Trump ’em
In case you missed it, bikini model Chrissy Teigen just called GOP presidential hopeful Donald
Trump a“t -- t” in a tweet that has lit up the Twittersphere.
There ya go. Post ’em . . . . . . and correct ’em: House
Speaker Paul Ryan, 45, is now sporting a whiff of whiskers.
Translation: The top GOPer had to correct an Instagram post that he was the first House speaker in 100 years to sport a beard. It’s closer to 90 years. I spy Local rapper and record producer Lupe Fiasco dined at Carmine’s over the holiday weekend. . . . Ditto shocko TV personality Jerry
Springer . . . and “Chicago Med” actor Nick Gehlfuss spotted dining with his parents to celebrate his recent engagement and brother’s birthday at Quartino Ristorante on Saturday.
Sneedlings
Today’s birthdays: Britney
Spears, 34; Lucy Liu, 47, and Jason Collins, 37. . . . And a belated birthday to auction maven Leslie
Hindman, ageless.