A Chicago police officer is facing criminal charges after reportedly threatening another officer who was scheduled to testify against him in a legal procedure. Marco Torres, 40, has been charged with one count of harassing a witness in connection with alleged threats made to a 41-year-old detective last May.
According to the Chicago Police Department’s Bureau of Internal Affairs report, Torres called the lady on May 20, 2024, to persuade her not to testify in a pending assault case. “It’s me, Marco,” he replied, according to the story. “I have been crying. Please don’t testify against me.
“This is my life please dont [sic] testify i always cover my tracks…” he texted later, according to a separate court filing. “I would hope that you keep this between us. Or my comander [sic] will get you fired.”
Judge James Costello placed Torres on a GPS monitor and ordered him to forfeit his firearms and firearms licenses while the case was underway. Torres will be unable to be paid as a CPD officer if he is prohibited from possessing firearms.
Torres was sentenced to 12 months of court supervision last November after being found guilty of misdemeanor assault in a case in which he allegedly threatened to murder another detective in his unit. He is appealing the punishment since it also compels him to forfeit his firearms, which would preclude him from functioning as a police officer. Torres has requested that he only be restricted from owning firearms when off duty.
Torres was deprived of police powers last year as the agency conducts an internal investigation.
