Naked Woman Acquitted of Charges in Chicago Police Officer Attack Due to Insanity Defense

A woman accused of attacking a Chicago police officer, stealing his squad car, and dragging him while naked was acquitted of all charges on Wednesday after a judge ruled she was legally insane at the time of the incident.

Cook County Judge Tyria Walton found Whitley Temple not guilty of one count of attempted murder and not guilty by reason of insanity on four other charges, including two counts of aggravated battery to a police officer, vehicular hijacking, and possession of a stolen vehicle.

Temple will remain free but must report to court for a meeting with mental health officials to establish a treatment plan.

Temple's defense attorney argued that she was "in a psychotic state" during the 2022 incident, describing it as a "textbook insanity case." Judge Walton delivered her verdict after both sides presented their closing arguments on Wednesday.

Prosecutors stated that on June 13, 2022, Chicago Police Officer Edward Poppish encountered Temple naked in West Garfield Park. She then stole his squad car, ran him over, dragged him with the vehicle, and sped down the Kennedy Expressway at 90 mph before crashing into four cars at Harrison Street and Damen Avenue in the Illinois Medical District.

Officer Poppish, a 23-year veteran of the force, suffered a concussion and needed several stitches to his head.

Temple's attorney explained that she had been in a psychotic state for days, worrying her family. She believed people were trying to kill the women in her family and thought she had been sexually assaulted.

Temple was hired earlier this year by the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services as a lead accountant while awaiting trial but was fired in March. A city spokesperson declined to comment on whether the city knew about her pending felony charges and the fact that the victim was a Chicago police officer, citing personnel confidentiality.