Illinois Police Good & Bad
Sheriff jail staff pled guilty to smuggling pot and alcohol into jail
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Former Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Marijuana and Alcohol into Cook County Jail
CHICAGO — A former Cook County Corrections Officer admitted in federal court today that he smuggled marijuana, tobacco and alcohol into the Cook County Jail.
JASON MAREK delivered the contraband to a jail inmate after tucking it into sandwiches and sneaking it past security, according to a written plea agreement. In exchange for his efforts, Marek received cash payments from the inmate’s wife, the plea agreement states.
Marek, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of federal program bribery. The conviction carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. U.S. District Judge Charles R. Norgle will schedule a sentencing hearing at a later date.
Marek was assigned to a maximum-security tier of the jail when he smuggled in the goods in May and June 2013. After initially selling used chewing tobacco to the inmate for $200, Marek and the inmate agreed to deal the marijuana and alcohol, according to the plea agreement. The inmate arranged for his wife to meet Marek at a location outside of the jail in order for Marek to receive payment for his services, the plea agreement states.
Marek admitted knowing that the inmate planned to sell the contraband to other inmates within the jail, according to the plea agreement.
The guilty plea was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart; and Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan Cunniff Church and Michelle Nasser.
Chicago Police dispatcher sentenced to 3+ yrs for smuggling Contraband into jail
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Former Chicago Police Dispatcher Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Scheming to Smuggle Contraband into Cook County Jail
CHICAGO — A former dispatch supervisor for the Chicago Police Department was sentenced today to more than three years in prison for providing government information to her boyfriend in an effort to help smuggle contraband into Cook County Jail.
STEPHANIE LEWIS used her position in the City of Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications to access law enforcement databases to locate the personal information of a corrections officer at the jail. Lewis provided the information to her boyfriend, an inmate in the jail who had schemed with the officer and others to sneak in the contraband to sell to other inmates. Lewis admitted in a plea agreement that she knew her boyfriend and the others used the information to threaten the officer with physical harm unless he continued with the scheme and smuggled additional contraband into the jail.
Lewis, 43, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion. U.S. District Judge Charles R. Norgle imposed the 41-month sentence in federal court in Chicago.
The sentencing was announced by Joel R. Levin, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart; and Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Lewis is one of five defendants convicted in the case. The prior convictions include the corrections officer,JASON MAREK, who admitted delivering contraband, including marijuana, tobacco and alcohol, to a jail inmate after tucking it into sandwiches and sneaking it past security. Marek was assigned to a maximum-security tier of the jail when he smuggled in the goods in May and June of 2013. Marek is awaiting sentencing.
Two other defendants, including Lewis’ boyfriend, PRINCE JOHNSON, of Chicago, have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Cunniff Church.
Former Chicago Police Dispatch Supervisor Pled Guilty to Fed Extortion Charge inScheme to Smuggle Contraband into Cook County Jail
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Former Chicago Police Dispatch Supervisor Pleads Guilty to Federal Extortion Charge in Connection with Scheme to Smuggle Contraband into Cook County Jail
CHICAGO — A former dispatch supervisor for the Chicago Police Department admitted in federal court today that she provided private government information to her boyfriend in an effort to help smuggle contraband into Cook County Jail.
STEPHANIE LEWIS used her position in the City of Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications to access law enforcement databases to locate the personal information of a corrections officer at the jail, according to a written plea agreement. Lewis provided the information to her boyfriend, an inmate in the jail who had schemed with the officer and others to smuggle in the contraband to sell to other inmates. Lewis admitted in the plea agreement that she knew her boyfriend and the others used the information to threaten the officer with physical harm unless he continued with the scheme and smuggled additional contraband into the jail.
Lewis, 42, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion. The conviction carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Charles R. Norgle set sentencing for April 26, 2017, at 11:30 a.m.
The guilty plea was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart; and Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Lewis’ guilty plea brings to five the number of defendants convicted in the case. The prior convictions include the corrections officer, JASON MAREK, who admitted delivering contraband, including marijuana, tobacco and alcohol, to a jail inmate after tucking it into sandwiches and sneaking it past security. Marek was assigned to a maximum-security tier of the jail when he smuggled in the goods in May and June 2013.
Lewis’ boyfriend, PRINCE JOHNSON, of Chicago, has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges and is awaiting trial.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Cunniff Church.
Chicago Police tamper with more video in murder trial
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Robin Johnson = innocent person, barely survived being shot 22 times
Videotape reveals she was never holding a gun.
Serving life sentence for shooting officer
Judge Gainer wrongfully convicted Robin Johnson of murder of an officer in 2013 in a large part due to preventing evidence from being presented to the jury, including videotapes, which had been tampered with, as well as evidence that she was suffering a type of seizure where she walks around confused. She is a sweet grandmother, with no previous criminal history.
Chicago police committed perjury – they shot their own man.
The court illegally refused to allow testimony that Johnson was in a standing seizure (confused), had a long history of such seizures that were not controlled well and was often found wandering at night at bus stops, had a grand mal seizure in her bathroom at home that morning, that it took five years pretrial while she was in jail to mostly control her seizures, that she had been repeatedly bashed while in a head lock against a bus by her head by the deceased officer, and Johnson had no experience with guns or training in attacking others or defending herself – so how does a 5′ tall grandmother with no criminal history disarm a 6′ tall seasoned Sargent and shoot him in the head – with a large gun that is really too large for her tiny hand to hold and handle this weapon while in a confused state of mind due to a seizure? She clearly could have no intent if she was in a seizure and confused so the charge is void and the public defender refused to argue this defense.
The state had multiple videos, from stores and from a bus which was at the bus stop, but the moments where she allegedly held the gun were missing for “unknown reasons”! The gun was lost for a period of time, which per a U.S. Supreme Court decision means that the case automatically should have been dismissed due to tampering with evidence. There were no fingerprints on the gun.
The state made up a baloney theory that her motive was that she was an “angry person” out to kill a cop at 2 a.m. in the morning! She had a history of wondering around bus stops at around 2 a.m. in the morning due to the poorly controlled seizures that confused her. The bus stop where the incident occurred was near a police station and there were a few passengers on a bus that were stopped so why were there no witnesses but officers?
They didn’t let her children (including a daughter studying to be an attorney) and grandchildren, relatives and friends testify that she was not a violent, aggressive, or “angry” person.
Notably, Gainer should have recused himself because his close relative was former top cop in the U.S. – Terrance Gainer who had at retirement been Chief of the Capital police in Washington, D.C., had long record of being chief of several departments and president of the American Society of Police Chiefs! He is often “randomly” assigned to cases involving police officers as victims or plaintiffs by “coincidence.” She is now serving a wrongful life sentence while her husband is dying for something she did not do in order for Alvarez to cover-up the shooting of the officer by police.
Johnson barely survived 22 wounds when officers arriving on the scene emptied their guns against her, even though by then the videos show her unarmed and down. She slid under a car trying to protect herself from the volley of gunfire. That’s attempted murder of Johnson.
Tags: Anita Alvarez, battery by officer, Chicago Police, Chicago Police Department, corrupt police, Excessive Force, False Arrest, IDOC, Illinois Department of Corrections, official misconduct, police misconduct, tampering with videotape
Black lives matter & words matter
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The murder of Laquan McDonald is nothing new. See: here
The corruption of officials in Chicago, Cook County and Illinois is nothing new. There is no corrupt republicans and corrupt democrats. The corrupt are one party that crosses party lines. Their chief is Jim Thompson and below explains how he controls everything.
I am a long-time behind the scenes civil rights activist, who is still standing but barely, due to corruption of the police, judges, prosecutors, and attorneys. I want to inform the public about how the Illinois judicial system is corrupt and how it must change.
I am very pleased that our youth have erupted in the Black Lives Matter Movement, that Cook County Board President Tony Preckwinkle is leading the way, and that Mayor Emmanuel has finally fired Police Superintendent McCarthy.
How do politicians in Cook County garner 70-80% of the vote – BE A TEAM PLAYER!
Every public employee during political fundraising season is given a book of tickets to the fundraiser – BE A TEAM PLAYER and sell the tickets [or lose your job]!
Signs go up on lawns of employees of the Secretary of State’s Office and Cook County Sheriff’s Office – BE A TEAM PLAYER and support OUR candidates [or no promotions]!
Public employees who take short lunches so that can finish their work are told – “look, you’re making everyone feel bad by not taking the full lunch that you deserve and a little more” – BE A TEAM PLAYER [or lose your job]!
If a public employee does his work too fast or too well he is told – “look at your colleagues, you are making them look bad – slow down [so we can hire another patronage worker to get out the vote] – don’t hurt their feelings – BE A TEAM PLAYER [or find a new job]!
Vote often and help the dead to vote – BE A TEAM PLAYER [keep the system going]!
If your neighbors don’t vote for the right candidate – perhaps they don’t deserve the same public services that WE deserve – spill their garbage, send out the building inspector to harass them, defame them, discredit them – BE A TEAM PLAY [or you won’t get services either]!
For corporations and businesses doing business with the State, County, or City – don’t forget to “donate” [kick-back, bribery] 10 % of the income the State GIVES you to the political fund “Friends of Madigan” or “Friends of Blagojevic” or “Friends of Jesse Jackson Jr.” or whomever – you know we can’t give contracts to people unless you are willing to BE A TEAM PLAYER!
Don’t forget the Sheriff’s staff, we need them out campaigning at all the polling places [in plain clothes on public time] to make sure no one “interferes” [or observes] our campaigning tactics [dirty deals] – BE A TEAM PLAYER!
Don’t encourage any one immediately connected with the TEAM to directly negotiate these “donations” (always layer the corruption), explain the rules to our employees, or manage the money – BE TEAM PLAYER!:
(1) Thompson (The bad brother King in Robin Hood),
(2) Daley (Now Emmanuel-altho he may be OK as he has fired McCarthy), Stroger (Now Preckwinkle-thank GOD!-she’s great),
(3) Divine (now Alvarez=Cardinal executioner in Robin Hood-GOT TO GO!-she ran the State’s Atty’s office of public corruption for years and essentially shut it down to cover-up all corruption),
(4) Sheahan (now Dart=the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood-GOT TO GO!),
(5) Madigans (Lisa =Atty Gen, the most incompetent in history & Michael = Speaker of House, who runs the state with Thompson-both GOT TO GO!),
(6) Burkes (Ann=IL Supreme Crt Justice and Ed-Alderman & head of bribery collection $15,000 to be a judge, etc, as well as determines who will be on Dem ballot – both GOT TO GO!),
(7) Evans = Chief Judge who is chief cover-uper-GOT TO GO! as he fails to force judges to follow the law, then covers up when they don’t follow the law-see: here ;
(8) Brown-Court Clerk-keep the computer system 30 yrs old so that no queries can be done and corruption remains hidden-also see:
The team can be informed orally and be at meetings but lets keep this part of the TEAM and don’t put anything in writing – BE A TEAM PLAYER!
Finally – defame, wrongfully arrest, destroy, maliciously prosecute on false charges, even murder any one who gets in our way (including me, Dr. Linda Shelton) – Spread Fear to keep the TEAM in check – BE A TEAM PLAYER!
THE ONLY WAY WE WILL BREAK THE CABAL OF CORRUPTION IN ILLINOIS IS FOR THE US ATTORNEY TO ANNOUNCE A GENERAL AMNESTY TO ANYONE WHO COMES FORWARD WITH THE DETAILS ABOUT HOW THE TEAM WORKS AND THE CRIMINAL ACTS THAT WERE PERPETRATED BY THE TEAM, AS WELL AS GUARANTEE THAT ANYONE WHO IS THREATENED OR LOSES HIS JOB FOR COMING FORWARD AS A PATRIOT WILL BE PRETECTED AND THOSE WHO THREATEN THEM WILL GET VERY STIFF SENTENCES. THIS WILL BRING TRANSPARENCY, ELEVIATE FEAR, END THE CORRUPTION, AND ALLOW ILLINOIS TO MOVE ON WITH A LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNMENT, FREEDOM, HONESTY, AND CONCERN FOR ITS CITIZENS THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN. TRUTH COMMISSIONS WORKED IN SOUTH AFRICA – THEY CAN ALSO WORK IN ILLINOIS.
BE A TEAM PLAYER!
Tags: Black Lives Matter, Chicago courts
Brooklyn, IL police department raided by other agencies
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The Brooklyn, Illinois police department was raided by multiple other agencies. Accusations about an officer stealing from the evidence room, including keeping an AR-15 rifle in one car and posing with it for a calender were so disturbing that it required a massive and thorough raid and investigation.
Oak Lawn Police knowingly arrest Shelton on invalid warrants in act of criminal contempt of court
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Dr. Linda Shelton is a whistle blower that has been exposing corruption of Cook County Judges and government officials, including IL Attorney General Lisa Madigan on line in her blogs for several years. She has sent evidence of this corruption to federal officials. View this evidence on her blogs here, here, and here.
Oak Lawn Police officers came to the home of Dr. Linda Shelton on April 3, 2012 and arrested her on warrants issued by corrupt Judge Peggy Chiampas, that had been already executed on March 21, 2012 and withdrawn, illegally by Judge Chiampas in the courtroom, when she ordered Shelton into custody for getting sick on a very hot day and going out into the hallway to try to avoid fainting in the courtroom. Read about corrupt, incompetent, malicious, manic Judge Chiampas here.
Officer Kirk Star # 321 was handed court orders by Shelton stating that the warrants had already been served and were no longer valid and Ofc. Kirk, after taking them to his car and talking to the station on ther radio stated: “I don’t care”, then arrested Shelton. This is a direct act of criminal contempt of court because he refused to follow court orders. This is an outrageous act for an officer. I don’t know if he is just stupid or if the Oak Lawn Police have such poor training and supervision of their officers that they cannot recognize a court order and understand it.
It is also possible that since the misdemeanor arrests were by Assistant Chief Sheriff Nolan in an act of corruption and retaliation for Shelton exposing corruption in the Sheriff’s office and Trustee Duhig in Oak Lawn is a colleague of his, as he is a Deputy Sheriff in the Courtroom Services Division of the Cook County Sheriff’s office, that Nolan may have called Duhig and illegally ordered this arrest. As most people know, police don’t generally go pick up people on misdemeanor warrants. They save their SWAT teams for apprehending those with felony warrants. This appears to have been political.
For the whole story see the United States Supreme Court Petition for Writ of Mandamus written by Shelton and pending before the court here and the Supplement to this Pettion for Writ of Mandamus Shelton recently filed here.
All the misdemeanor cases that the warrants related to must be dismissed for the reasons stated in the above Petition and every day they are not dismissed is another day that Judge Peggy Chiampas has committed a criminal act of judicial misconduct.
The following is a petition being filed against Ofc. Kirk and his criminal accomplices in the Circuit Court so that they can be summoned to court and tried on the offense of criminal contempt of court:
PETITION FOR ADJUDICATION OF CRIMINAL CONTEMPT AGAINST OAK LAWN POLICE OFFICER KIRK, HIS UN-NAMED PARTNER, AND 7-3 PM UN-NAMED LOCK-UP OFFICER
NOW COMES, Linda Shelton pro se, who petitions for adjudication of criminal contempt against Oak Lawn Police Officer Kirk, star #321, his un-named partner, and the 7-3 pm un-named lock-up officer on April 3, 2012, and in support of this motion Defendant states as follows:
County of Cook )
) Ss
State of Illinois )
Affidavit
- On March 21, 2012, Judge Chiampos issued orders that seven (7) inappropriately and illegally issued misdemeanor arrest warrants had been executed and were therefore recalled and no longer valid. (group Exhibit A)
- On April 2, 2012 Oak Lawn Police officers were dispatched to the residence of Defendant by unknown persons to execute these arrest warrants. Of Note: Judicial notice is given that it is common knowledge that police departments in Cook County do not routinely send out officers to homes to arrest people on misdemeanor warrants. They generally only serve felony warrants. Misdemeanor warrants are generally only executed when the police encounter a person during routine procedures where they check identity like traffic stops. Officers have told Defendant that they only serve misdemeanor warrants when they are pushed to do so by superiors or “special interests” with clout. Of NOTE: OLP did not serve a valid, though fraudulent felony fugitive warrant against Defendant between August 2008 and February 2009 (it was withdrawn in February 2009 and represented fraudulent accusations and records from a corrupt parole officer following Defendant after release from prison in 2008 on a wrongful conviction for felony battery of an officer [alleged “bumping” him with her wheelchair] – for details proving wrongful conviction see the document here.
- When Officer Kirk appeared at Defendant’s door and stated he was executing arrest warrants, she showed him these court orders recalling the warrants (group Exhibit A).
- Officer Ricks went to his car to check out these papers and then came back to Defendant, said that he didn’t care about these court orders and arrested Defendant, even refusing to bring these court orders to the police station.
- Officer Kirk’s partner and the lock-up officer in Oak Lawn on April 2, 2012, 7-3 pm shift, also stated that they didn’t care that Defendant said that she gave Officer Ricks these court orders.
- The lock-up officer particularly refused to call his supervisor or send another officer to the house to retrieve the court orders.
- Later in the day after Defendant was turned over to the custody of Chicago Police, she was released, when they determined the arrest warrants were invalid.
- Therefore, Officer Rick and his partner as well as the lock-up officer directly violated and knowingly and willingly violated this court’s orders in an act of contempt of this court.
WHEREFORE, Defendant pro se petitions this Court for adjudication of criminal contempt against these officers for knowing and willing direct violation of this court’s orders.
Respectfully submitted,
Linda L. Shelton, Pro Se
Linda Lorincz Shelton, Ph.D., M.D.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Oak Lawn, IL 60453
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Pro Se Defendant
SWORN to and SUBSCRIBED before me this ___th day of May, 2012
_________________________
Notary Public
_______________________________
Tags: criminal contempt of court, False Arrest, malicioius prosecution, Oak Lawn Police, official misconduct, police misconduct, Village of Oak Lawn
Cook County Probation officer indicted in murder-to-hire scheme to kill his wife
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The Cook County States Attorney announced in a press release on June 9, 2010 that:
“Joint State’s Attorney and Sheriff Investigation Results in Charges Against Cook County Probation Officer in Murder-for-Hire Plot
Bond was set at $500,000 today for a Cook County Probation Officer charged in a murder-for-hire plot for allegedly offering to pay a man to kill his wife for $1,000, following a joint investigation by the offices of the Cook County State’s Attorney and the Cook County Sheriff.
Michael Dickerson, 47, a Cook County Probation Gang Intelligence Officer, has been charged with Solicitation of Murder for Hire, a Class X felony. If convicted, Dickerson
faces from 20 to 40 years in prison.
According to prosecutors and investigators, the case came to light late last month after an attorney informed the State’s Attorney’s Office that his client was solicited by Dickerson to commit a murder-for-hire. According to investigators, Dickerson approached the individual and told him that he “needed someone to go away.” Dickerson then told the individual that he would pay him and he provided the individual with vehicle identification information, as well as a time and location where the intended
victim, his wife, could be located.
The State’s Attorney’s Office and the Sheriff’s Office began a joint investigation, and on May 28, 2010, a court order for audio and video eavesdropping was obtained. In
subsequent meetings with the individual, Dickerson also provided a description of a new car that the intended target would be driving and a license plate number. Upon further investigation, investigators were able to confirm that the intended target of the murder was, in fact, the wife of Dickerson, and that the information provided by Dickerson corresponded to her daily commute.
According to prosecutors, Dickerson met with the individual during the course of the investigation and physically identified his wife and told the individual that he wanted him to “make it look like a robbery,” and “after you shoot her, I got you.” Based upon the investigation, Dickerson believed “his marriage was messed up and he wanted out of it” and he intended to pay the murderer $1,000 from his wife’s life insurance policy. Dickerson was taken into custody early Tuesday.
Dickerson appeared in bond court this morning before Cook County Judge Donald Panarese who set the $500,000 bond and also ordered Dickerson to stay away from the victim, and to surrender his passport and all firearms. The next court date in the case is scheduled for June 28, 2010.
The public is reminded that criminal charging documents contain allegations that are not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the state has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Park Ridge Police Lieutenant charged with felony battery of two teens
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The Cook County States Attorney in a press released on November 15, 2010, announced that:
“Suburban Police Lieutenant Indicted In Brutality Case
A Park Ridge Police Lieutenant has been indicted on multiple charges of battery and official misconduct for beating two teen-aged boys who had vandalized his car in an incident that took place in 2006, according to the office of Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez.
Jason Leavitt, age 39 and a 16-year veteran of the Park Ridge Police Department, surrendered to authorities today without incident, and he is scheduled to appear in bond court at the Cook County Criminal Courts Building later this morning to make his initial appearance on the unsealed indictment. Leavitt is charged with
three counts of Aggravated Battery (Class 3 felony) and seven counts of Official Misconduct (Class 3 felony).
The charges stem from an incident that occurred in the early morning hours of Oct. 28, 2006, when Leavitt was off-duty and driving his personal vehicle. The two 15-year-old victims were in a cemetery in Park Ridge and were shooting at cars with a slingshot as they drove past on Touhy Avenue. The victims struck the defendant’s personal car as he was driving past, shattering his rear window.
According to court documents, Leavitt radioed the Park Ridge Police dispatcher about the incident and chased the victims as they fled the cemetery. Leavitt caught up to one of the victims as he attempted to escape by climbing over a fence and struck him on the back of the head with an unidentified object causing him to lose consciousness.
According to court documents, he then continued beating the victim until a responding police officer pulled Leavitt off and handcuffed the victim. The defendant struck the victim an additional time as he was being placed in the officer’s squad car.
A short distance away, a second group of responding officers had apprehended the second victim and had handcuffed him and left him lying on the ground on his stomach. Leavitt then traveled to that location and approached the second victim as he lay on the ground and began kicking him in the back of the head causing him to chip his tooth and scrape his chin.
While still handcuffed and in the back of a squad car, Leavitt attacked the second victim a second time and began punching him in the face. The victim attempted to escape the attack by sliding over to opposite side of the car. Leavitt then walked around to the other side of the vehicle, opened the door and continued to punch the victim.
Both of the victims were transported to the Park Ridge police station and where their juvenile cases were later dismissed. The day after the incident one of the
juveniles received medical treatment for a concussion.
With the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office began an investigation after learning of the incident in January of 2009. The state criminal investigation remains ongoing.
Leavitt will appear at the Cook County Criminal Courthouse at 26th and California at 11 am in courtroom 101 where his indictment will be announced.
The public is reminded that criminal charging documents contain allegations that are not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the state has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Chicago Police Sergeant indicted for felony battery of detainee teen while handcuffed
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The Cook County States Attorey released the following press release on April 15, 2011:
“Chicago Police Sergeant Charged In Brutality Case
A Chicago Police Sergeant was arrested today and is facing felony criminal charges in connection with the arrest of a defendant last October in which the Sergeant is captured on videotape repeatedly slapping the man across the face despite the fact that the defendant was handcuffed and in compliance with police orders, Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez announced today.
Sergeant Edward Howard Jr., 48, is scheduled to appear in bond court today where he will be charged with Aggravated Battery (Class 3 felony) and Official Misconduct (Class 3 felony) for commission of the offense in his official capacity as a Chicago Police Officer. Howard has been employed as a Chicago Police Officer since August of 1986.
“It is a sad and difficult day for all of us in law enforcement when an incident such as this occurs and criminal charges are warranted,” said Alvarez. “We recognize
that police officers have difficult jobs and work under challenging circumstances, but every law enforcement officer holds his or her powers through the public trust and this officer’s senseless act against a defendant who was handcuffed and compliant constitutes a violation of that trust.”
According to prosecutors, the incident occurred on Oct. 11, 2010 at approximately 10:15 p.m. in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant at 7904 S. Vincennes. The 19-year-old victim and two friends had been arrested by two Chicago Police Officers for Criminal Trespass to Land after walking out of the restaurant.
The victim immediately complied with the orders of the responding police officers, walked to the squad car in the parking lot and placed his hands on the car. The
officers handcuffed him behind his back and searched him without incident. Other officers began to arrive and after the scene had been secured, Sgt. Howard arrived and walked up to the victim. While several officers watched, Howard struck the victim on three separate occasions across the face with an open hand. The final strike was forceful enough to knock the victim backwards and off balance against the squad car.
The 19-year-old victim sustained cuts, bruising and swelling to his upper and lower lips and redness and swelling to the face. The victim was taken to the 6th police
district for processing after the incident and released from custody several hours later. That same morning the victim and his mother reported the incident to the Independent Police Review Authority for investigation and the case was then referred to the State’s Attorney’s Office to be reviewed for criminal charges.
Videotaped footage recovered from the restaurant’s surveillance system corroborates both the victim and other eyewitness accounts of the defendant’s abusive use of force against the handcuffed victim, according to prosecutors.
Howard surrendered to authorities this morning and he is scheduled to appear in bond court at the Cook County Criminal Courts Building at 26th and California at 11:45 a.m.
Alvarez thanked the Independent Police Review Authority and the Chicago Police Department for their cooperation in the investigation.
The public is reminded that criminal charging documents contain allegations that are not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the state has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Illinois Police Good & Bad 