Chicago's top cop fired for allegedly lying after being found asleep in his car

The top cop in Chicago has been fired just weeks before he planned to retire due to what the city's mayor described as a "series of ethical lapses and flawed decision-making."

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Monday announced the firing of Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, who in October was found asleep in his car at a stop sign, CNN reports. Johnson at the time said he stopped because he felt ill due to missing a dose of his new blood pressure medication, and he told Lightfoot he had a "couple of drinks with dinner." Chicago police said officers who responded to a 911 call "did not observe any signs of impairment," NBC News reports, though Johnson was reportedly not administered a breathalyzer test.

Lightfoot on Monday, referencing the findings of an inspector general's report, said that Johnson "intentionally misled" the public and "intentionally lied to me" about the incident, pushing a "narrative replete with false statements."

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"Mr. Johnson failed the hard-working members of the Chicago police department," Lightfoot said. "He intentionally misled the people of Chicago, and he intentionally misled me. None of that is acceptable."

Lightfoot said that video revealed "things that were inconsistent with" Johnson's claims, but she didn't reveal further details "out of deference to his wife and his children." Johnson had previously announced he would retire at the end of 2019, the Chicago Tribune notes. His firing is effective immediately.