Chicago Cop Quits Department To Join Volunteers Training Ukrainians In Combat

Chicago, IL – A Chicago police officer who is also a U.S. Army veteran resigned from the police department to join a group of American volunteer fighters in the Ukraine.

Now-former Chicago Police Officer Harrison Jozefowicz submitted his resignation to the Chicago Police Department after Russia invaded Ukraine so that he could volunteer with Task Force Yankee: Ukraine, WGN reported.

Jozefowicz was a member of the Chicago police force for three years, but before that, he served a tour in Afghanistan while he was in the Army.

“This shouldn’t happen to anyone, and I know there are a lot of like-minded people here with me who feel that same way,” he explained to WGN via a video call. “This war has only been going on for two weeks since Russia officially crossed into Ukraine, and it’s just phenomenal to see all these people coming together and knowing pretty much what has to get done and getting it done.”

The former police officer said he had been helping train civilians and other volunteers.

“It’s very surreal when you see it,” Jozefowicz said. “We just had a day of training with the Georgian legion. They are completely volunteers just like us, and they’ve been here since 2014.”

They’re also providing support to the local community, WGN reported.

“There was a bombing nearby that killed nine people and wounded about 60 others, so we sent some medics to go help out at the hospital with that,” Jozefowicz said.

He described the chaos in Ukraine and the bravery of the people, WGN reported.

“These people are just amazing because we’re not seeing a group of people who are running away from their homes,” the volunteer said. “These people are here and they’re defending their cities and their livelihoods and their business and families. It just makes you want to keep digging deeper.”

Jozefowicz said he made the dangerous trip to Ukraine after seeing the U.S. pullout from Afghanistan, WGN reported.

And he said his family supported his decision although they didn’t necessarily understand his desire to volunteer for such a dangerous mission in a foreign country.

“They support me, my family, they support,” Jozefowicz said. “They don’t fully understand because this is 100 percent volunteer, but they’re seeing what I’m doing. I’m telling them, so they’re getting more supportive, so it’s not too bad.”

He said his ultimate goal was to see peace in Ukraine, WGN reported.

“You would have thought you’d never see this kind of conventional warfare ever again,” Jozefowicz said. “But here we are.”