A Chicago police officer already in trouble over an alleged bar groping in the Gold Coast is now facing dismissal after testing positive for methamphetamine and marijuana, according to disciplinary filings.
Officer Aramis Williams, 29, was stripped of his police powers and reassigned while multiple investigations play out. The case now hanging over his career centers on a departmental drug test he took on January 17, 2024, at Chicago Police Department headquarters in Bronzeville, along with a separate late-night arrest the department recorded last fall.
Disciplinary charges filed last month by the Supt. Larry Snelling alleges Williams failed that January 17 drug test and seeks his firing from the Chicago Police Department. The filing also recounts a September 2, 2023, arrest, after a woman reported that Williams grabbed her at The Hangge-Uppe, a Gold Coast bar. Police records from that arrest described signs of impairment, an open bottle,e and firearms in his car. Prosecutors later dropped misdemeanor counts in the case. Williams remains off patrol, has been assigned to alternate duties, and is the subject of at least three open investigations, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Where The Arrest Happened And How CPD Responded
The Hangge-Uppe bills itself as a late-night Gold Coast club at 14 W. Elm St., and its website lists that address and the venue’s hours. More about the club can be found via The Hangge-Uppe.
After the arrest and the failed drug test, CPD reassigned Williams to its Alternate Response Section. The department says officers in that unit typically handle non-emergency 311 work and can include members who are not cleared for regular patrol while allegations or medical reviews are pending. The assignment is widely used for officers who have been sidelined from street duty. Details on the unit are available from the Chicago Police Department.
Discipline, Arbitration, And What Comes Next
Snelling’s move to fire Williams comes as several other Chicago officers have faced dismissal charges this year after failed drug tests. Many of those accused officers are choosing arbitration instead of a public hearing before the Chicago Police Board, a legal shift that could influence where and how Williams’ case is ultimately heard.
A recent court fight over whether those arbitration hearings can be held behind closed doors resulted in rulings that require public proceedings in serious misconduct cases. That development could affect both the timing and the transparency of any disciplinary process involving Williams. For reporting on the disciplinary filing, related drug-test cases, and the arbitration fight, see the Chicago Sun-Times.
Why It Matters For Cops And The City
Illinois legalized adult-use cannabis in 2020, but state law and workplace guidance still allow employers, including police departments, to maintain drug-free or zero-tolerance policies and to discipline employees for on-duty impairment. That tension between legalization and workplace rules helps explain why positive marijuana tests can still bring heavy consequences for public-safety workers.
The state framework appears in the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. Employer guidance on how to enforce workplace rules in this new legal landscape is available from legal advisers such as Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner.
