From tossing touchdowns in packed stadiums to slipping sporting cards into sneaky retail bags, Christopher Pazan’s journey seems to have very much taken the scenic route, albeit a circuitous one with unexpected stops. Once a star quarterback for the University of Illinois, and later a badge-bearing officer of the law in Chicago, Pazan now finds himself tangled in charges of retail theft that raise brows and score headlines. The former football champion has been arrested for allegedly shoplifting approximately $300 worth of baseball cards from a store in suburban Evergreen Park.
The scene unfolded under the watchful digital gaze of store security cameras, which, much like hawk-eyed referees on the field, captured every move. On that fateful Wednesday afternoon, a Meijer store security guard, sharply noting something amiss, spotted the 41-year-old Pazan deftly slipping the baseball cards into a yard waste bag. That action, apparently a weak backhand maneuver in the playbook of life, did not go unnoticed. After paying for the bag alone, Pazan left the store, taking with him more than just garden supplies but a legal conundrum as well.
Pazan’s pivot from quarterback to cop in 2015 saw him traversing yet another field – that of law enforcement, marked by arrests and investigations, not unlike his own. Professionally stationed in the Morgan Park District, he was detailed to the central investigations division, dealing with cases like arson and financial crimes, which, in an ironic twist, now seem prescient given his recent circumstances. Following his arrest, however, Pazan has been temporarily sidelined, his police powers suspended pending an internal investigation. It’s a play familiar in the corporate world: pause, investigate, and potentially reform the team.
Attempts to reach Pazan’s legal counsel hit the voicemail wall, as elusive as a quarterback scrambling to find an open receiver amidst a formidable defensive line. Similarly, Pazan himself was not available to offer a statement on his situation, leaving the public to piece together the narrative from available court documents and historical records.
Going back a few decades, it’s worth noting that Pazan’s name once resonated through the corridors of Brother Rice High School, where he was heralded as a football prodigy with All-American honors pinned to his jersey. His trajectory led him to the University of Illinois, where despite starting in just a handful of games, he left an indelible mark, which only the gridiron can etch. Post-college, his passion for football saw him don the coaching mantle at Illinois and St. Joseph’s College before he finally elected to trade in his playbook for a badge.
In a reflective interview with the Chicago Tribune back in 2015, Pazan elucidated his rationale for switching careers, highlighting a yearning “to do something more and to serve in a different capacity.” That yearning pushed him onto a larger field – one where the stakes are measured not in touchdowns but in the currency of integrity and duty. He even played for the Chicago Enforcers, a police football team, an apt blend of his two career passions.
Beneath the uniform, however, lay a web of personal financial challenges that Pazan contended with off the field. Earning a respectable salary of $111,804 annually (overtime not inclusive), recent legal filings reveal that his financial affairs have been anything but simple. Caught in the throes of a contentious divorce, Pazan was soon to attend a court hearing the day of his arrest. His financial struggles are highlighted by a mountain of unpaid legal fees claimed by his erstwhile lawyer, Tania K. Harvey, amounting to over $5,800.
In an attempt to manage his legal maze, Pazan’s current counsel has revealed that he’s undergoing refinancing of his home in Beverly, signaling financial distress. These monetary woes are not entirely new to Pazan, who in previous labyrinthine financial escapades, including a dismissed loan collection attempt by Fifth Third Bank and a resolved lawsuit with JPMorgan Chase, has experienced considerable turbulence.
City employment guidelines strongly advise against admitting police academy recruits with burdensome debts due to vulnerability concerns. The mentorship provided in policing seeks to ensure that the officers are steely-nerved on and off the duty field.
Now caught in the legal crosshairs, Pazan faces a misdemeanor charge of retail theft, with his initial court date stamped for June 23 in Bridgeview. Whether the former quarterback can maneuver this blitz and emerge unscathed remains to be seen. In the volatile game of life, one can only hope for a fair ruling upon reflection by the judicial referee.
