A woman who ran over a Chicago police officer with his own squad car after he stopped to help her on the West Side was found not guilty by a Cook County judge yesterday. Judge Tyria Walton ruled that Whitley Temple, 35, was not guilty of attempted murder and four other charges, including carjacking, by reason of insanity.
The bench trial, conducted by Judge Walton, lasted a month due to repeated continuances, although the actual trial proceedings were relatively brief, according to courtroom spectators. As a result of the judge’s finding, Temple must follow a treatment plan.
Prosecutors stated that Chicago Police Officer Ed Poppish was responding to reports of shots fired in June 2022 when he encountered Temple lying half-naked in the street in the 4400 block of West Jackson. Poppish stopped to assist her and radioed for an ambulance. According to officials, Temple got up, repeatedly said his name, and then got into the squad car’s driver’s seat. When Poppish tried to intervene, Temple allegedly told him, “Let me go. This has nothing to do with you.”
Two videos of the incident quickly went viral. One was from a city surveillance camera, and the other, recorded by a witness, showed the squad car reversing and dragging Poppish into another vehicle, causing him to strike his head. A prosecutor described it as “a miracle” that Poppish survived. He required six stitches for a head injury and suffered a concussion.
Prosecutors alleged that after the incident, Temple drove the squad car to a gas station, got out while it was still rolling, entered the station, and then drove away again. She then drove onto the inbound Eisenhower Expressway, weaving through traffic at 97 MPH and still going 76 MPH when she exited at Sacramento Boulevard. She ran red lights, struck five occupied cars, and ran down the block until police arrested her.
Initially, prosecutors claimed that the gunfire Poppish was responding to had been caused by Temple shooting at a bystander, who was not injured.
While awaiting trial, Temple secured a job as a lead accountant at the city’s Department of Family and Support Services. She lost the job earlier this year when it was publicly revealed that she was on trial for allegedly attempting to kill a Chicago police officer.
The attempted murder charge faced challenges from the beginning. Judge Barbara Dawkins set Temple’s bail at $2 million shortly after the incident but expressed doubt that the state had demonstrated Temple’s intent to kill Poppish. Temple’s attorneys appealed the bail amount, calling it excessive. The appellate court agreed, remanding the case to the trial court for a bond reduction. Temple was released on an ankle monitor after a relative posted her $7,500 bail deposit, and the ankle monitor was removed last year.
Source: CWBChicago.com
