A Chicago police officer charged with beating a female bartender in an altercation caught on camera has been put on leave pending an internal investigation, authorities said Wednesday.
Officer Anthony Abbate, 38, was expected to be fired after the investigation into the Feb. 19 attack on the bartender, allegedly after she refused to continue serve alcohol to the 12-year police veteran, Chicago Police Department spokeswoman Monique Bond said. A surveillance video from Jessie's Short Stop Inn Tavern on Chicago's Northwest Side shows an off-duty Abbate shouting at the bartender before walking behind the bar, where he punched, kicked and threw her to the ground. The 115-pound woman suffered bruises to her head, neck, back and lower body after the attack by the 250-pound officer.
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/illinoi ... ?id=293426
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Officer Anthony Abbate Beats Female Bartender gets PROBATION
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Officer Anthony Abbate Beats Female Bartender gets PROBATION
by WaTcHeR » 22 Mar 2007, Thu 4:54 pm
Last edited by WaTcHeR on 23 Jun 2009, Tue 7:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Cops that lie, need to die!" A police officer that lies to get an arrest or send someone to prison should be shot.
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
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WaTcHeR - Moderator
- Posts: 8268
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by WaTcHeR » 22 Mar 2007, Thu 5:20 pm
This link has a video of the incident. I'm sure the other link did also?
They should hang this cop by his balls!
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/myfox/pages ... geId=1.1.1
They should hang this cop by his balls!
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/myfox/pages ... geId=1.1.1
Last edited by WaTcHeR on 27 Mar 2007, Tue 3:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Cops that lie, need to die!" A police officer that lies to get an arrest or send someone to prison should be shot.
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
-
WaTcHeR - Moderator
- Posts: 8268
- Joined: 04 Mar 2007, Sun 1:25 pm
- Location: Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
by WaTcHeR » 23 Mar 2007, Fri 4:22 pm
Another officer investigated for covering up beating
(CHICAGO) - A grand jury is investigating whether a Chicago police officer was involved in trying to cover up another officer's alleged beating of a female bartender. The violent attack was caught by a security camera.
Anthony Abbate was arrested Tuesday on an aggravated battery charge. A videotape shows him beating a female bartender at Jesse's Shortstop Inn on West Belmont last month. Abbate was off duty at the time.
The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that a grand jury is weighing an obstruction-of-justice charge against a second police officer suspected of helping to threaten and bribe the woman to keep silent about the beating.
According to the victim, police officer Anthony Abbate, 38, came after her when she refused to serve him more drinks at Jesse's Shortstop Inn.
"I just refused serving him because he got too stupid and too drunk," said Karolina, 24, who did not wish to use her last name. Karolina has sent quit bartending.
"On the tape, I see myself and him. In my head, I see just him beating me," said Karolina.
Karolina says she had never met Abbate before and didn't know he was an off-duty Chicago police officer. She says she had bruises on her arms, ribcage and legs from the January 19th attack.
None of the onlookers in the tape stepped in to help. One patron who was there that night says he tried to stop the attack.
"I came and got closer to the guy, and I said, 'Would you please stop hitting her?' " said Kevin Kelly.
"I just couldn't believe that this large man, who is a Chicago police officer, who the Chicago Police Department gives gun and badge to protect people, could engage in that type of conduct," said Terry Ekl, Karolina's attorney.
Abbate, a 12-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, has been stripped of his police powers. The department is also moving fire him.
"It was disgusting. It was despicable conduct. Nobody should have that done to them and the fact that he is a police officer is even more damning," said Supt. Phil Cline, Chicago Police Dept.
According to court records, Abbate did not have a clean record. He was arrested for DUI in 1992 and named in a federal lawsuit for beating a man under arrest in 1999. The man later died.
Abbate's father is a retired police officer and appeared at his bond hearing Wednesday. After the evidence on the videotape, Abbate's charges were upgraded from misdemeanor battery to a felony.
"It is one of the most brutal and savage attacks that I have seen caught on tape," said David Navarro, assistant Cook Co. state's attorney.
There is an investigation underway into whether someone tried to buy off the victim in the now infamous bartender beating that was caught on tape. The victim's lawyer says someone tried to bribe her to keep quiet and that she and the bar owner were threatened if they pursued the case.
Police say they are investigating the alleged bribe and whether Abbate received any favorable treatment from police when he was arrested.
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?sectio ... id=5143391
(CHICAGO) - A grand jury is investigating whether a Chicago police officer was involved in trying to cover up another officer's alleged beating of a female bartender. The violent attack was caught by a security camera.
Anthony Abbate was arrested Tuesday on an aggravated battery charge. A videotape shows him beating a female bartender at Jesse's Shortstop Inn on West Belmont last month. Abbate was off duty at the time.
The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that a grand jury is weighing an obstruction-of-justice charge against a second police officer suspected of helping to threaten and bribe the woman to keep silent about the beating.
According to the victim, police officer Anthony Abbate, 38, came after her when she refused to serve him more drinks at Jesse's Shortstop Inn.
"I just refused serving him because he got too stupid and too drunk," said Karolina, 24, who did not wish to use her last name. Karolina has sent quit bartending.
"On the tape, I see myself and him. In my head, I see just him beating me," said Karolina.
Karolina says she had never met Abbate before and didn't know he was an off-duty Chicago police officer. She says she had bruises on her arms, ribcage and legs from the January 19th attack.
None of the onlookers in the tape stepped in to help. One patron who was there that night says he tried to stop the attack.
"I came and got closer to the guy, and I said, 'Would you please stop hitting her?' " said Kevin Kelly.
"I just couldn't believe that this large man, who is a Chicago police officer, who the Chicago Police Department gives gun and badge to protect people, could engage in that type of conduct," said Terry Ekl, Karolina's attorney.
Abbate, a 12-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, has been stripped of his police powers. The department is also moving fire him.
"It was disgusting. It was despicable conduct. Nobody should have that done to them and the fact that he is a police officer is even more damning," said Supt. Phil Cline, Chicago Police Dept.
According to court records, Abbate did not have a clean record. He was arrested for DUI in 1992 and named in a federal lawsuit for beating a man under arrest in 1999. The man later died.
Abbate's father is a retired police officer and appeared at his bond hearing Wednesday. After the evidence on the videotape, Abbate's charges were upgraded from misdemeanor battery to a felony.
"It is one of the most brutal and savage attacks that I have seen caught on tape," said David Navarro, assistant Cook Co. state's attorney.
There is an investigation underway into whether someone tried to buy off the victim in the now infamous bartender beating that was caught on tape. The victim's lawyer says someone tried to bribe her to keep quiet and that she and the bar owner were threatened if they pursued the case.
Police say they are investigating the alleged bribe and whether Abbate received any favorable treatment from police when he was arrested.
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?sectio ... id=5143391
"Cops that lie, need to die!" A police officer that lies to get an arrest or send someone to prison should be shot.
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
-
WaTcHeR - Moderator
- Posts: 8268
- Joined: 04 Mar 2007, Sun 1:25 pm
- Location: Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
by KC » 26 Mar 2007, Mon 8:42 pm
More allegations of beatings by off-duty Chicago police
CHICAGO - Off-duty police, barroom beatings and videotape.
The Chicago Police Department on Monday again fielded uncomfortable questions about those subjects after accusations arose that six off-duty police officers assaulted four men in a bar, allegedly breaking the nose of one man and breaking the ribs of another.
It's the second time in less than a week that claims surfaced of such misbehavior by off-duty officers at Chicago bars. Both incidents were captured on videotape, though in the most recently reported case police have declined to release the footage.
According to Steven Fine, a lawyer for the four men, the six officers "kicked, punched and stomped" his clients at the Jefferson Tap and Grille in the West Loop, dragging at least one of the men outside.
At one point during the early morning attack on Dec. 15, an on-duty officer responded to a 911 call, spoke to one of the off-duty officers, then left, Fine said. Later, other police arrived and did speak to Fine's clients, but no arrests were made.
Charges, Fine argued, should have been filed by now.
"Had it been a typical bar fight there would have been an arrest made that night," he said. "They have enough evidence to make an arrest, and it just seems to be a case where they're protecting their own."
Police spokeswoman Monique Bond declined to comment Monday, saying only that the Cook County state's attorney's office is investigating. No one has been charged.
The videotape is evidence and so would not be immediately released, she said.
"Hopefully we'll have something that we can release very soon," she said.
Fine said he'll ask a judge April 2 to grant him access to the video. He also wants the judge to order the release of the names of the officers allegedly involved.
In a separate incident reported last week, a videotape released by attorneys showed 24-year-old bartender Karolina Obrycka being punched, kicked and thrown to the ground by an off-duty police officer at Jesse's Short Stop Inn.
The surveillance video from the bar on Chicago's northwest side was aired widely on television and the Internet.
Anthony Abbate, a 12-year police veteran, is charged with felony aggravated battery in that Feb. 19 attack. The 38-year-old is on leave pending an internal investigation, and Bond has said she expected the department to fire Abbate.
In the December incident, Adam Mastrucci, Scott Lowrance and brothers Aaron and Barry Gilfand were playing pool when they were attacked; the man whose nose was broken needed reconstructive surgery, and the other man suffered three or four broken ribs, Fine said.
The video showing the attack on Obrycka further frustrated and angered Mastrucci, Lowrance and the Gilfand brothers, the attorney said.
"When the (other) video surfaced, our clients became more outraged and more upset that no action was taken," he said. "I think they're upset (about) the fact that these officers have remained on active duty.
http://www.belleville.com/mld/bellevill ... 977032.htm
CHICAGO - Off-duty police, barroom beatings and videotape.
The Chicago Police Department on Monday again fielded uncomfortable questions about those subjects after accusations arose that six off-duty police officers assaulted four men in a bar, allegedly breaking the nose of one man and breaking the ribs of another.
It's the second time in less than a week that claims surfaced of such misbehavior by off-duty officers at Chicago bars. Both incidents were captured on videotape, though in the most recently reported case police have declined to release the footage.
According to Steven Fine, a lawyer for the four men, the six officers "kicked, punched and stomped" his clients at the Jefferson Tap and Grille in the West Loop, dragging at least one of the men outside.
At one point during the early morning attack on Dec. 15, an on-duty officer responded to a 911 call, spoke to one of the off-duty officers, then left, Fine said. Later, other police arrived and did speak to Fine's clients, but no arrests were made.
Charges, Fine argued, should have been filed by now.
"Had it been a typical bar fight there would have been an arrest made that night," he said. "They have enough evidence to make an arrest, and it just seems to be a case where they're protecting their own."
Police spokeswoman Monique Bond declined to comment Monday, saying only that the Cook County state's attorney's office is investigating. No one has been charged.
The videotape is evidence and so would not be immediately released, she said.
"Hopefully we'll have something that we can release very soon," she said.
Fine said he'll ask a judge April 2 to grant him access to the video. He also wants the judge to order the release of the names of the officers allegedly involved.
In a separate incident reported last week, a videotape released by attorneys showed 24-year-old bartender Karolina Obrycka being punched, kicked and thrown to the ground by an off-duty police officer at Jesse's Short Stop Inn.
The surveillance video from the bar on Chicago's northwest side was aired widely on television and the Internet.
Anthony Abbate, a 12-year police veteran, is charged with felony aggravated battery in that Feb. 19 attack. The 38-year-old is on leave pending an internal investigation, and Bond has said she expected the department to fire Abbate.
In the December incident, Adam Mastrucci, Scott Lowrance and brothers Aaron and Barry Gilfand were playing pool when they were attacked; the man whose nose was broken needed reconstructive surgery, and the other man suffered three or four broken ribs, Fine said.
The video showing the attack on Obrycka further frustrated and angered Mastrucci, Lowrance and the Gilfand brothers, the attorney said.
"When the (other) video surfaced, our clients became more outraged and more upset that no action was taken," he said. "I think they're upset (about) the fact that these officers have remained on active duty.
http://www.belleville.com/mld/bellevill ... 977032.htm
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KC - Assistant Moderator
- Posts: 1336
- Joined: 05 Mar 2007, Mon 11:12 pm
by WaTcHeR » 28 Mar 2007, Wed 6:57 pm
Enough already. We don't need one more promise. Or one more policy to protect us from wayward police officers.
Or Police Supt. Phil Cline assuring us last night that he is "disgusted to witness" his cops clobbering innocent citizens and then covering it up
What we need, once and for all, is a true accounting of just how big this problem is and how much it's costing us. What we need is a comprehensive plan to deal with police brutality, not to mention torture, in a holistic, sensible, truthful way. That's something nobody, not the mayor nor superintendents of police nor state's attorneys, have ever been willing to do.
Chicago, be clear.
The whole world is watching.
From Mexico to Moscow, CNN has shown the international community the shameful videotape of off-duty Chicago Police Officer Anthony Abbate trying to beat the living daylights out of a female bartender less than half his size. In what appears to be an alcohol-soaked rage, Abbate showed us Chicago's Finest at their lowest. And the cops who were called in to stop Abbate's pounding of Karolina Obrycka at Jesse's Short Stop Inn once again cause us to ask whether Chicago Police would rather close ranks to protect a brother officer than protect the public from a crazed cop.
If you had any doubt that some in the Police Department remain unmoved by this outrageous conduct, you need only consider what happened Tuesday when Abbate appeared in court. A dozen of his police pals blocked reporters and cameras, ticketed vehicles, threatened one news team with arrest and made sure Abbate was whisked in and out of the building through private entrances out of public sight.
So exactly what is it that these cops don't get? In defending "a few rotten apples,'' are they really willing to trash the whole damn orchard?
Let's review the list, shall we?
Jon Burge and Torture (1973-1991):
To this very day, Mayor Daley and the city Law Department continue to pay the fees of a raft of lawyers, expensive outside legal counsel, to defend the indefensible. Even though the city already has paid millions in settlements for what Burge and his boys did to force murder suspects to confess (electrodes on testicles, suffocation and cattle prods), even though the city admitted years ago that "an astounding pattern of torture" existed, the city still defends Burge in current federal cases. And Daley, who was the Cook County state's attorney for many of the years when Burge and his gang were brutalizing suspects, has yet to have a candid conversation with the public or the courts about how it could have happened under his and other public officials' watch.
Oh, one other thing.
Not a single solitary police officer, prosecutor or judge has ever come forward to testify about what Burge did to make his cases. Make no mistake, a number of them knew.
Joseph Miedzianowski, Cop, Dope Dealer, Gun Runner:
One of the worst officers ever to wear a badge was also one of the department's shining stars and most protected players. No less than Raymond Risley, head of Internal Affairs during Meidzianowski's ruthless reign, defended him in the face of growing evidence he was a violent, corrupt, menacing thug. Even though Miedzianowski went to prison, it took 15 years and a federal jury to acknowledge the damage that this one cop did to, among others, two federal agents who desperately tried to get the city to investigate the danger he posed to the community. As a result, for years Miedzianowski terrorized those agents. Last month, the jury awarded them $9.75 million in damages, obligating us taxpayers to pony up for the city's failure.
SOS -- The Still Growing Special Operations Scandal:
Last summer, the elite Special Operations Section of the Chicago Police Department saw the indictment of four highly decorated cops. Police Officer Jerome Finnegan and members of his unit are charged with home invasion, robbery and the ripoff of drug dealers they were investigating. Along the way, they allegedly robbed and terrorized people who were not drug dealers but simply immigrant workers who kept cash in their homes. Did Internal Affairs know about the allegations? You bet. Did it promptly and aggressively investigate? Absolutely not. Is the scandal going to get worse? Count on it.
The New Ticking Time Bomb:
There is another videotape out there that the Police Department has not released. It shows six off-duty cops beating four businessmen at a downtown bar in December. One of the victims had to have reconstructive surgery. When police were called to investigate, the off-duty officers waved them off. Supt. Cline, last night, stripped the cops of their police powers.
In addition, Cline declared that Abbate's beating of the barmaid "tarnished our image worse than anybody else in the history of the department."
He's dead wrong.
If Jon Burge or Joe Meidzianowski had ever been caught on tape, Chicago might have qualified for the International Court at the Hague by now.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/marin/3156 ... 28.article
Or Police Supt. Phil Cline assuring us last night that he is "disgusted to witness" his cops clobbering innocent citizens and then covering it up
What we need, once and for all, is a true accounting of just how big this problem is and how much it's costing us. What we need is a comprehensive plan to deal with police brutality, not to mention torture, in a holistic, sensible, truthful way. That's something nobody, not the mayor nor superintendents of police nor state's attorneys, have ever been willing to do.
Chicago, be clear.
The whole world is watching.
From Mexico to Moscow, CNN has shown the international community the shameful videotape of off-duty Chicago Police Officer Anthony Abbate trying to beat the living daylights out of a female bartender less than half his size. In what appears to be an alcohol-soaked rage, Abbate showed us Chicago's Finest at their lowest. And the cops who were called in to stop Abbate's pounding of Karolina Obrycka at Jesse's Short Stop Inn once again cause us to ask whether Chicago Police would rather close ranks to protect a brother officer than protect the public from a crazed cop.
If you had any doubt that some in the Police Department remain unmoved by this outrageous conduct, you need only consider what happened Tuesday when Abbate appeared in court. A dozen of his police pals blocked reporters and cameras, ticketed vehicles, threatened one news team with arrest and made sure Abbate was whisked in and out of the building through private entrances out of public sight.
So exactly what is it that these cops don't get? In defending "a few rotten apples,'' are they really willing to trash the whole damn orchard?
Let's review the list, shall we?
Jon Burge and Torture (1973-1991):
To this very day, Mayor Daley and the city Law Department continue to pay the fees of a raft of lawyers, expensive outside legal counsel, to defend the indefensible. Even though the city already has paid millions in settlements for what Burge and his boys did to force murder suspects to confess (electrodes on testicles, suffocation and cattle prods), even though the city admitted years ago that "an astounding pattern of torture" existed, the city still defends Burge in current federal cases. And Daley, who was the Cook County state's attorney for many of the years when Burge and his gang were brutalizing suspects, has yet to have a candid conversation with the public or the courts about how it could have happened under his and other public officials' watch.
Oh, one other thing.
Not a single solitary police officer, prosecutor or judge has ever come forward to testify about what Burge did to make his cases. Make no mistake, a number of them knew.
Joseph Miedzianowski, Cop, Dope Dealer, Gun Runner:
One of the worst officers ever to wear a badge was also one of the department's shining stars and most protected players. No less than Raymond Risley, head of Internal Affairs during Meidzianowski's ruthless reign, defended him in the face of growing evidence he was a violent, corrupt, menacing thug. Even though Miedzianowski went to prison, it took 15 years and a federal jury to acknowledge the damage that this one cop did to, among others, two federal agents who desperately tried to get the city to investigate the danger he posed to the community. As a result, for years Miedzianowski terrorized those agents. Last month, the jury awarded them $9.75 million in damages, obligating us taxpayers to pony up for the city's failure.
SOS -- The Still Growing Special Operations Scandal:
Last summer, the elite Special Operations Section of the Chicago Police Department saw the indictment of four highly decorated cops. Police Officer Jerome Finnegan and members of his unit are charged with home invasion, robbery and the ripoff of drug dealers they were investigating. Along the way, they allegedly robbed and terrorized people who were not drug dealers but simply immigrant workers who kept cash in their homes. Did Internal Affairs know about the allegations? You bet. Did it promptly and aggressively investigate? Absolutely not. Is the scandal going to get worse? Count on it.
The New Ticking Time Bomb:
There is another videotape out there that the Police Department has not released. It shows six off-duty cops beating four businessmen at a downtown bar in December. One of the victims had to have reconstructive surgery. When police were called to investigate, the off-duty officers waved them off. Supt. Cline, last night, stripped the cops of their police powers.
In addition, Cline declared that Abbate's beating of the barmaid "tarnished our image worse than anybody else in the history of the department."
He's dead wrong.
If Jon Burge or Joe Meidzianowski had ever been caught on tape, Chicago might have qualified for the International Court at the Hague by now.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/marin/3156 ... 28.article
"Cops that lie, need to die!" A police officer that lies to get an arrest or send someone to prison should be shot.
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
-
WaTcHeR - Moderator
- Posts: 8268
- Joined: 04 Mar 2007, Sun 1:25 pm
- Location: Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
by WaTcHeR » 05 Apr 2007, Thu 4:01 pm
The brother of the off-duty Chicago Police officer accused of brutally beating a female bartender will not face criminal charges for getting into a barroom brawl with a Washington, D.C., police officer, but the Police Department's internal investigation is widening, officials said Wednesday.
Terry M. Abbate got off the hook in one investigation but remained under scrutiny in another as details emerged of the March 18 fight at O'Callaghan's bar at 29 W. Hubbard.
The off-duty Capitol Hill officer told his union leader he was "cold-cocked" by Abbate while talking to a woman who apparently had some kind of relationship with Abbate, according to Terry Gainer, the former Chicago cop and Illinois State Police director who's now sergeant-at-arms for the U.S. Senate.
The officer's eye and the side of his face was left black-and-blue from the punch, Gainer said.
The officer reported the incident immediately, but the Chicago Police sergeant and lieutenant who responded to the call "blew it off" because the punch was thrown by one of their own, Gainer said.
Police Department spokeswoman Monique Bond confirmed that the department's ongoing internal investigation is aimed at determining "whether officers involved in responding followed procedures."
That means the police responses to all three videotaped incidents of barroom brawls involving off-duty officers have been called into question.
In a Dec. 15 beating of four businessmen at the Jefferson Tap and Grille, patrol officers responded, spoke to the off-duty officers involved, then left without intervening. The officers remained on the job until last week.
When Terry Abbate's brother Anthony beat a female bartender on Feb. 19, police allegedly helped by charging Abbate with a misdemeanor instead of a felony. Police Supt. Phil Cline resigned in the wake of the scandal.
While Terry Abbate remains under investigation for alleged misconduct, the state's attorney's office determined -- after reviewing a videotape -- there is not enough evidence to press criminal charges because it's not clear who threw the first punch.
'Looks like mutual combat'
The tape reportedly shows Abbate brushing past the Capitol cop, then turning around as his right hand goes forward. The Washington officer then comes forward, crouches down and Abbate is seen swinging a left hook. It was not clear whether the punch lands, but the Washington officer is hit in the right eye. The Washington officer then rushes Abbate and both officers hit the floor before being separated by half a dozen people. Abbate is then rushed out of the bar.
"It looks like mutual combat. You can't place charges," a law enforcement source said.
Gainer refused to identify the Washington cop, who was in Chicago for a wedding rehearsal. But Gainer acknowledged he encouraged the officer -- through a union representative -- to file a report with the Office of Professional Standards.
Asked why the Washington cop waited 10 days to file a report, Gainer said, "He didn't know what to do. He tried to report it out there and was rebuffed that evening by the responding sergeant.
He added: "We just can't tolerate police brutality. [Abbate] sucker-punched the guy. We have an obligation to make sure people like that aren't police officers."
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/3281 ... 05.article
Terry M. Abbate got off the hook in one investigation but remained under scrutiny in another as details emerged of the March 18 fight at O'Callaghan's bar at 29 W. Hubbard.
The off-duty Capitol Hill officer told his union leader he was "cold-cocked" by Abbate while talking to a woman who apparently had some kind of relationship with Abbate, according to Terry Gainer, the former Chicago cop and Illinois State Police director who's now sergeant-at-arms for the U.S. Senate.
The officer's eye and the side of his face was left black-and-blue from the punch, Gainer said.
The officer reported the incident immediately, but the Chicago Police sergeant and lieutenant who responded to the call "blew it off" because the punch was thrown by one of their own, Gainer said.
Police Department spokeswoman Monique Bond confirmed that the department's ongoing internal investigation is aimed at determining "whether officers involved in responding followed procedures."
That means the police responses to all three videotaped incidents of barroom brawls involving off-duty officers have been called into question.
In a Dec. 15 beating of four businessmen at the Jefferson Tap and Grille, patrol officers responded, spoke to the off-duty officers involved, then left without intervening. The officers remained on the job until last week.
When Terry Abbate's brother Anthony beat a female bartender on Feb. 19, police allegedly helped by charging Abbate with a misdemeanor instead of a felony. Police Supt. Phil Cline resigned in the wake of the scandal.
While Terry Abbate remains under investigation for alleged misconduct, the state's attorney's office determined -- after reviewing a videotape -- there is not enough evidence to press criminal charges because it's not clear who threw the first punch.
'Looks like mutual combat'
The tape reportedly shows Abbate brushing past the Capitol cop, then turning around as his right hand goes forward. The Washington officer then comes forward, crouches down and Abbate is seen swinging a left hook. It was not clear whether the punch lands, but the Washington officer is hit in the right eye. The Washington officer then rushes Abbate and both officers hit the floor before being separated by half a dozen people. Abbate is then rushed out of the bar.
"It looks like mutual combat. You can't place charges," a law enforcement source said.
Gainer refused to identify the Washington cop, who was in Chicago for a wedding rehearsal. But Gainer acknowledged he encouraged the officer -- through a union representative -- to file a report with the Office of Professional Standards.
Asked why the Washington cop waited 10 days to file a report, Gainer said, "He didn't know what to do. He tried to report it out there and was rebuffed that evening by the responding sergeant.
He added: "We just can't tolerate police brutality. [Abbate] sucker-punched the guy. We have an obligation to make sure people like that aren't police officers."
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/3281 ... 05.article
"Cops that lie, need to die!" A police officer that lies to get an arrest or send someone to prison should be shot.
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
-
WaTcHeR - Moderator
- Posts: 8268
- Joined: 04 Mar 2007, Sun 1:25 pm
- Location: Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
by WaTcHeR » 27 Apr 2007, Fri 3:42 pm
CBS) CHICAGO Suspended Chicago Police Officer Anthony Abbate has been charged with 14 additional counts stemming from his alleged beating of a female bartender that was caught on tape.
Anthony Abbate, a 12-year department veteran, was charged with seven counts of official misconduct, one count of communicating with a witness, three counts of intimidation and three counts of conspiracy, Cook County State's Attorney's office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton said. He was charged earlier with one count of aggravated battery.
Abbate is accused of beating up bartender Karolina Obrycka on Feb. 19 at Jesse's Shortstop Inn Tavern, at 5425 W. Belmont Ave.
The attack was caught on surveillance videotape and is cited by many as the reason for the resignation of police Supt. Philip Cline.
Abbate allegedly beat Obrycka because she refused to serve him another drink.
Abbate has been placed on leave and police have said they intend to fire him over the alleged beating, which embarrassed the city and police department. Police faced intense criticism because Abbate originally was charged with a misdemeanor, until the videotape became public.
He appeared in court briefly Friday for a previously scheduled status hearing, when prosecutors told the judge they had filed a superseding indictment to the original assault charge. Abbate's attorney, Peter Hickey, said he was angry because he had found out from the media that there were new charges, and told reporters after the hearing that he didn't know what the charges were.
Terry Ekl, an attorney for Obrycka, claimed that after the beating, two of Abbate's friends showed up at the bar and offered her money for medical bills and lost wages if she agreed not to prosecute Abbate. A portion of the surveillance video showing them at the bar was released later.
Cline said Abbate had "tarnished our image worse than anybody else in the history of the department," and said he would speed up the process of getting officers accused of misconduct off the street.
Abbate is scheduled to be arraigned on the new charges, all felonies, on May 16.
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_117091439.html
Anthony Abbate, a 12-year department veteran, was charged with seven counts of official misconduct, one count of communicating with a witness, three counts of intimidation and three counts of conspiracy, Cook County State's Attorney's office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton said. He was charged earlier with one count of aggravated battery.
Abbate is accused of beating up bartender Karolina Obrycka on Feb. 19 at Jesse's Shortstop Inn Tavern, at 5425 W. Belmont Ave.
The attack was caught on surveillance videotape and is cited by many as the reason for the resignation of police Supt. Philip Cline.
Abbate allegedly beat Obrycka because she refused to serve him another drink.
Abbate has been placed on leave and police have said they intend to fire him over the alleged beating, which embarrassed the city and police department. Police faced intense criticism because Abbate originally was charged with a misdemeanor, until the videotape became public.
He appeared in court briefly Friday for a previously scheduled status hearing, when prosecutors told the judge they had filed a superseding indictment to the original assault charge. Abbate's attorney, Peter Hickey, said he was angry because he had found out from the media that there were new charges, and told reporters after the hearing that he didn't know what the charges were.
Terry Ekl, an attorney for Obrycka, claimed that after the beating, two of Abbate's friends showed up at the bar and offered her money for medical bills and lost wages if she agreed not to prosecute Abbate. A portion of the surveillance video showing them at the bar was released later.
Cline said Abbate had "tarnished our image worse than anybody else in the history of the department," and said he would speed up the process of getting officers accused of misconduct off the street.
Abbate is scheduled to be arraigned on the new charges, all felonies, on May 16.
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_117091439.html
"Cops that lie, need to die!" A police officer that lies to get an arrest or send someone to prison should be shot.
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
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WaTcHeR - Moderator
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by KC » 01 May 2007, Tue 7:33 pm
CHICAGO - Attorneys for a bartender allegedly beaten when she refused to serve an off-duty police officer more alcohol - an incident caught on video - filed a federal lawsuit on Monday that seeks more than $1 million in damages.
Security cameras captured video of a large man repeatedly punching and kicking the petite, blond-haired Karolina Obrycka at Jesse’s Shortstop Inn, a bar on Chicago’s northwest side. The Feb. 19 attack made international headlines after the video went public.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Obrycka, bar owner Eva Cepiaszuk and bar manager Martin Kolodziej. It names the officer, the city of Chicago and several other individuals as defendants.
Obrycka, a 24-year-old Polish immigrant, appeared at a Monday news conference announcing the lawsuit, saying she still fears retribution from police. She even went so far as to change her hair color from blonde to light red to avoid being recognized.
“Somehow that was the point to changing my color hair, so people and maybe the police officers ... wouldn’t recognize me, so I wouldn’t be so afraid,” she said, speaking softly in a slight Polish accent.
Obrycka’s alleged attacker, 38-year-old Anthony Abbate, faces aggravated battery, intimidation, official misconduct and other felony charges. An indictment filed last week alleges Abbate, through an intermediary, tried to intimidate witnesses by threatening to plant drugs on bar employees and arrest customers for drunken driving.
The civil rights lawsuit claims that damages to the bartender, the bar’s owner and a manager amount to at least $1 million, and it accuses Chicago police of systematically covering up misbehavior by its officers for years.
The lawsuit also claims that Obrycka and the other plaintiffs “have suffered, and will in the future continue to suffer injuries ... including extreme emotional distress, and damage to their business and property.”
Obrycka’s lawyer, Terry Ekl, said Chicago police officers’ tendency to turn a blind eye to accusations against fellow officers led to the harm done to the plaintiffs.
“Essentially we are alleging that because of the policies and procedures and customs that have been in effect in the Chicago Police Department for many years, officers such as Abbate feel that they are above the law,” said Jenny Hoyle, spokeswoman for the city’s law department, said officials at her office hadn’t yet seen the lawsuit and could not comment. Abbate’s attorney, William Fahey, did not immediately return a telephone message from The Associated Press.
The other individuals named in the lawsuit were Gary Ortiz, a city sanitation worker; Patti Chiriboga, another bartender at Jesse’s Shortstop; and a police officer who wasn’t identified. While they have not been charged in the case, the lawsuit accuses them of taking part in the intimidation of the plaintiffs.
There were no telephone listings in Chicago for a Gary Ortiz or Patti Chiriboga.
Abbate has been placed on leave.
http://www.sj-r.com/sections/news/stories/113448.asp
Security cameras captured video of a large man repeatedly punching and kicking the petite, blond-haired Karolina Obrycka at Jesse’s Shortstop Inn, a bar on Chicago’s northwest side. The Feb. 19 attack made international headlines after the video went public.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Obrycka, bar owner Eva Cepiaszuk and bar manager Martin Kolodziej. It names the officer, the city of Chicago and several other individuals as defendants.
Obrycka, a 24-year-old Polish immigrant, appeared at a Monday news conference announcing the lawsuit, saying she still fears retribution from police. She even went so far as to change her hair color from blonde to light red to avoid being recognized.
“Somehow that was the point to changing my color hair, so people and maybe the police officers ... wouldn’t recognize me, so I wouldn’t be so afraid,” she said, speaking softly in a slight Polish accent.
Obrycka’s alleged attacker, 38-year-old Anthony Abbate, faces aggravated battery, intimidation, official misconduct and other felony charges. An indictment filed last week alleges Abbate, through an intermediary, tried to intimidate witnesses by threatening to plant drugs on bar employees and arrest customers for drunken driving.
The civil rights lawsuit claims that damages to the bartender, the bar’s owner and a manager amount to at least $1 million, and it accuses Chicago police of systematically covering up misbehavior by its officers for years.
The lawsuit also claims that Obrycka and the other plaintiffs “have suffered, and will in the future continue to suffer injuries ... including extreme emotional distress, and damage to their business and property.”
Obrycka’s lawyer, Terry Ekl, said Chicago police officers’ tendency to turn a blind eye to accusations against fellow officers led to the harm done to the plaintiffs.
“Essentially we are alleging that because of the policies and procedures and customs that have been in effect in the Chicago Police Department for many years, officers such as Abbate feel that they are above the law,” said Jenny Hoyle, spokeswoman for the city’s law department, said officials at her office hadn’t yet seen the lawsuit and could not comment. Abbate’s attorney, William Fahey, did not immediately return a telephone message from The Associated Press.
The other individuals named in the lawsuit were Gary Ortiz, a city sanitation worker; Patti Chiriboga, another bartender at Jesse’s Shortstop; and a police officer who wasn’t identified. While they have not been charged in the case, the lawsuit accuses them of taking part in the intimidation of the plaintiffs.
There were no telephone listings in Chicago for a Gary Ortiz or Patti Chiriboga.
Abbate has been placed on leave.
http://www.sj-r.com/sections/news/stories/113448.asp
http://www.policecrimes.com
"A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against its government."
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KC - Assistant Moderator
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by WaTcHeR » 16 May 2007, Wed 5:11 pm
Chicago police officer pleads not guilty to videotaped bartender beating, intimidation
CHICAGO - A police officer pleaded not guilty today to beating a female bartender, and to threatening to arrest bar employees in a failed attempt to suppress a video of the attack that has been viewed around the world.
In a brief hearing, Anthony Abbate's attorney entered not guilty pleas to all 15 felony counts of aggravated battery, official misconduct, intimidation, conspiracy and communicating with a witness.
"He's pleading not guilty because he is not guilty," Peter Hickey said after the hearing. "And we expect at the end, the conclusion of the trial, that that's what the outcome will be."
The charges stem from an alleged beating Feb. 19 at a tavern on Chicago's northwest side that occurred after bartender Karolina Obrycka apparently refused to serve the off-duty officer any more drinks.
Videotape from a surveillance camera in the tavern shows a man police say is the 250-pound Abbate punching, beating and throwing the 115-pound Obrycka to the floor.
The video was broadcast repeatedly, embarrassing the city and prompting criticism of the police department because Abbate originally faced only a misdemeanor until the footage became public.
The indictment alleges that Abbate, using a woman as an intermediary, threatened to plant drugs on bar employees and arrest customers for drunken driving if the video was turned over to authorities.
Abbate, a 12-year department veteran, has not commented on the charges and declined to comment Wednesday.
Three other officers were scheduled to appear in the same courthouse Wednesday on charges stemming from another alleged bar fight. The officers, charged with aggravated battery, are accused of beating up four businessmen at a Chicago bar in December.
In a federal lawsuit filed this month, the businessmen claim the off-duty officers attacked them while they were playing pool. They contend they suffered broken ribs, broken facial bones, injured vertebrae and bruises, according to the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages.
http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pb ... 1/70516035
CHICAGO - A police officer pleaded not guilty today to beating a female bartender, and to threatening to arrest bar employees in a failed attempt to suppress a video of the attack that has been viewed around the world.
In a brief hearing, Anthony Abbate's attorney entered not guilty pleas to all 15 felony counts of aggravated battery, official misconduct, intimidation, conspiracy and communicating with a witness.
"He's pleading not guilty because he is not guilty," Peter Hickey said after the hearing. "And we expect at the end, the conclusion of the trial, that that's what the outcome will be."
The charges stem from an alleged beating Feb. 19 at a tavern on Chicago's northwest side that occurred after bartender Karolina Obrycka apparently refused to serve the off-duty officer any more drinks.
Videotape from a surveillance camera in the tavern shows a man police say is the 250-pound Abbate punching, beating and throwing the 115-pound Obrycka to the floor.
The video was broadcast repeatedly, embarrassing the city and prompting criticism of the police department because Abbate originally faced only a misdemeanor until the footage became public.
The indictment alleges that Abbate, using a woman as an intermediary, threatened to plant drugs on bar employees and arrest customers for drunken driving if the video was turned over to authorities.
Abbate, a 12-year department veteran, has not commented on the charges and declined to comment Wednesday.
Three other officers were scheduled to appear in the same courthouse Wednesday on charges stemming from another alleged bar fight. The officers, charged with aggravated battery, are accused of beating up four businessmen at a Chicago bar in December.
In a federal lawsuit filed this month, the businessmen claim the off-duty officers attacked them while they were playing pool. They contend they suffered broken ribs, broken facial bones, injured vertebrae and bruises, according to the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages.
http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pb ... 1/70516035
"Cops that lie, need to die!" A police officer that lies to get an arrest or send someone to prison should be shot.
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
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WaTcHeR - Moderator
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by WaTcHeR » 16 May 2007, Wed 5:15 pm
WaTcHeR wrote:The video was broadcast repeatedly, embarrassing the city and prompting criticism of the police department because Abbate originally faced only a misdemeanor until the footage became public.
Only a misdemeanor until the public found out? Another example of cops sucking cops off.
"Cops that lie, need to die!" A police officer that lies to get an arrest or send someone to prison should be shot.
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
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WaTcHeR - Moderator
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by WaTcHeR » 18 Jun 2007, Mon 5:54 pm
CHICAGO - A Cook County judge on Monday denied a request by officer Anthony Abbate, the Chicago Police officer caught on a Northwest Side bar’s video surveillance camera beating and kicking a female bartender, to have his firearm returned to him.
Abbate’s attorney had filed a motion asking the court to order authorities to return his client’s firearm. After hearing arguments from the defense and prosecution, Cook County Judge John Fleming denied the motion, according to Cook County State’s Attorney’s office spokesman Andy Conklin.
Last month, Abbate pleaded not guilty to one count of aggravated battery, one count of communication of a witness, three counts each of intimidation of a witness and conspiracy, and seven counts of official misconduct.
On Feb. 19, while at Jessie’s Shortstop Inn at 5424 W. Belmont Ave., Abbate, 6-foot-1 and 250 pounds, allegedly became intoxicated and attacked a female bartender, who is 5-foot-4 and 115 pounds, according to prosecutors. The Lincoln District officer was off duty at the time.
According to court records, Abbate insulted another customer, whom he put in a headlock and struck, and when that customer moved to the other side of the bar, Abbate attempted to walk behind the bar to get to him. When the bartender attempted to intervene, Abbate allegedly shoved her against the bar, punched her, knocked her to the ground and kicked her, court records show.
The incident was captured in a video which has aired repeatedly in the local and national news media. The bartender was treated for injuries at Our Lady of Resurrection Medical Center.
Later that night, someone allegedly approached the bartender, saying he was there on behalf of Abbate, offering the woman money not to report the incident to police. Abbate, who has been relieved of his police powers, was initially charged with aggravated battery in March, with the other charges added in April.
Fleming set a status hearing for July 25
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_169162454.html
Abbate’s attorney had filed a motion asking the court to order authorities to return his client’s firearm. After hearing arguments from the defense and prosecution, Cook County Judge John Fleming denied the motion, according to Cook County State’s Attorney’s office spokesman Andy Conklin.
Last month, Abbate pleaded not guilty to one count of aggravated battery, one count of communication of a witness, three counts each of intimidation of a witness and conspiracy, and seven counts of official misconduct.
On Feb. 19, while at Jessie’s Shortstop Inn at 5424 W. Belmont Ave., Abbate, 6-foot-1 and 250 pounds, allegedly became intoxicated and attacked a female bartender, who is 5-foot-4 and 115 pounds, according to prosecutors. The Lincoln District officer was off duty at the time.
According to court records, Abbate insulted another customer, whom he put in a headlock and struck, and when that customer moved to the other side of the bar, Abbate attempted to walk behind the bar to get to him. When the bartender attempted to intervene, Abbate allegedly shoved her against the bar, punched her, knocked her to the ground and kicked her, court records show.
The incident was captured in a video which has aired repeatedly in the local and national news media. The bartender was treated for injuries at Our Lady of Resurrection Medical Center.
Later that night, someone allegedly approached the bartender, saying he was there on behalf of Abbate, offering the woman money not to report the incident to police. Abbate, who has been relieved of his police powers, was initially charged with aggravated battery in March, with the other charges added in April.
Fleming set a status hearing for July 25
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_169162454.html
"Cops that lie, need to die!" A police officer that lies to get an arrest or send someone to prison should be shot.
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
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WaTcHeR - Moderator
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by WaTcHeR » 18 Jun 2007, Mon 5:55 pm
WaTcHeR wrote:Officer Abbate’s attorney had filed a motion asking the court to order authorities to return his client’s firearm. After hearing arguments from the defense and prosecution, Cook County Judge John Fleming denied the motion, according to Cook County State’s Attorney’s office spokesman Andy Conklin.
Surely officer Anthony Abbate has more than one gun? Still he hasn't gone to court or been found guilty and the government hasn't confiscated his firearm. Who will protect officer Abbate and his family, the police?
"Cops that lie, need to die!" A police officer that lies to get an arrest or send someone to prison should be shot.
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
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WaTcHeR - Moderator
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by WaTcHeR » 18 Sep 2007, Tue 10:14 am
CHICAGO - A Chicago police officer charged in connection with the videotaped beating of a female bartender is scheduled to return to court today.
Officer Anthony Abbate is on a security video camera tape beating and kicking a bartender at a Northwest Side bar back in February.
The 12-year police veteran was off duty at the time.
Abbate faces charges in the attack, including official misconduct and intimidating witnesses.
Abbate has pleaded not guilty and remains free on bond.
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?sectio ... id=5661690
Officer Anthony Abbate is on a security video camera tape beating and kicking a bartender at a Northwest Side bar back in February.
The 12-year police veteran was off duty at the time.
Abbate faces charges in the attack, including official misconduct and intimidating witnesses.
Abbate has pleaded not guilty and remains free on bond.
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?sectio ... id=5661690
"Cops that lie, need to die!" A police officer that lies to get an arrest or send someone to prison should be shot.
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
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WaTcHeR - Moderator
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by WaTcHeR » 23 Oct 2007, Tue 5:22 pm
Daley defends keeping police list secret
Mayor Richard Daley today defended City Hall’s effort to keep secret the identities of police accused of brutality and other wrongdoing and skewered aldermen who are trying to make the names public.
Officers who have been the subject of citizen complaints don’t deserve to have their names besmirched if they haven’t been found guilty of doing anything wrong, Daley said. And the aldermen are taking an easy political path to go after officers, he said.
“Kick ‘em when they’re down. Keep kicking ‘em. See your name in the press. Sign a petition. I guess that’s what you do in life...They should not be kicked up and down the street," the mayor said.
The Police Department has been rocked by videotapes that appear to show an off-duty officer beating a female bartender and, in another barroom incident, several other off-duty police assaulting four businessmen.
Meanwhile, the U.S. attorney and Cook County state's attorney are conducting an investigation that so far has led to charges of robbery and kidnapping against seven members of the police Special Operations Section. One of the officers, Jerome Finnigan, recently was charged with plotting to murder a former special operations officer who had begun helping investigators. Starks earlier this month announced that he was disbanding the controversial unit.
In a court filing yesterday, 28 of the City Council’s 50 aldermen asked Federal District Judge Joan Lefkow to order the city to release the names of 662 officers who have had more than 10 citizen complaints lodged against them over the last five years.
“Aldermen should be worried about gun violence,” Daley declared. How about a petition to the courts about putting people in jail for committing violent crimes? How about a petition, all 28? How about them looking at more and more children being killed? Criticize police. See, it’s easy politically to do that. It’s only 13,000 (officers in the department). But where are they when it comes to violence in their own communities?”
Daley's comments track with the ones made by Interim Police Supt. Dana Starks during a City Council budget hearing yesterday.
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clo ... nds-k.html
Mayor Richard Daley today defended City Hall’s effort to keep secret the identities of police accused of brutality and other wrongdoing and skewered aldermen who are trying to make the names public.
Officers who have been the subject of citizen complaints don’t deserve to have their names besmirched if they haven’t been found guilty of doing anything wrong, Daley said. And the aldermen are taking an easy political path to go after officers, he said.
“Kick ‘em when they’re down. Keep kicking ‘em. See your name in the press. Sign a petition. I guess that’s what you do in life...They should not be kicked up and down the street," the mayor said.
The Police Department has been rocked by videotapes that appear to show an off-duty officer beating a female bartender and, in another barroom incident, several other off-duty police assaulting four businessmen.
Meanwhile, the U.S. attorney and Cook County state's attorney are conducting an investigation that so far has led to charges of robbery and kidnapping against seven members of the police Special Operations Section. One of the officers, Jerome Finnigan, recently was charged with plotting to murder a former special operations officer who had begun helping investigators. Starks earlier this month announced that he was disbanding the controversial unit.
In a court filing yesterday, 28 of the City Council’s 50 aldermen asked Federal District Judge Joan Lefkow to order the city to release the names of 662 officers who have had more than 10 citizen complaints lodged against them over the last five years.
“Aldermen should be worried about gun violence,” Daley declared. How about a petition to the courts about putting people in jail for committing violent crimes? How about a petition, all 28? How about them looking at more and more children being killed? Criticize police. See, it’s easy politically to do that. It’s only 13,000 (officers in the department). But where are they when it comes to violence in their own communities?”
Daley's comments track with the ones made by Interim Police Supt. Dana Starks during a City Council budget hearing yesterday.
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clo ... nds-k.html
"Cops that lie, need to die!" A police officer that lies to get an arrest or send someone to prison should be shot.
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
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WaTcHeR - Moderator
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by WaTcHeR » 26 Oct 2007, Fri 4:29 pm
Aldermen who want a list of police officers with the most excessive force complaints over the last five years will have to wait a little longer after a federal judge on Thursday denied their request for the document.
Lawyers for 28 aldermen asked U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow to make the list available, but Lefkow said the question of the list being released already is in the hands of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Matthew Piers, an attorney for the aldermen, said the group was simply asking Lefkow to have Mara Georges, the Daley administration's chief attorney, abide by previous promises that an unredacted list of the officers' names would be made available to them.
"We have agreed to make the confidential documents available to any City Council member who requests them," Georges wrote in a July 13 emergency motion seeking a stay of Lefkow's prior order to make the records available to the public.
Subsequent requests by aldermen for the information have been denied as the city has sought to maintain the confidentiality of the list.
Lefkow said her earlier order releasing the documents has been stayed while the higher court handles the question of the list's release. That seemingly was the same question being put to her again Thursday, the judge said.
Lefkow has said she would not stand in the way of the city turning over the list to the aldermen. But it is a political decision whether that happens, she said.
"I don't have a dog in this fight," Lefkow told the lawyers, including Georges, in her courtroom Thursday.
The aldermen have other options too, the judge said.
"If the aldermen want to sue the city to get the documents because they have some legal entitlement to them they can do that," Lefkow said.
Aldermen have been given a version of the document, but with the names of the officers redacted. The records showed that 10 officers assigned to the police department's Special Operations Section had 408 allegations of wrongdoing filed against them, and of those complaints just three were sustained by the Office of Professional Standards.
After the hearing, Piers said it remains his view that the only thing keeping the full list from being released is the judge's protective order supervising discovery in the underlying case. He said he would go back and discuss legal options with the group of aldermen.
Ald. Ed Smith (28th) attended the hearing and said the group seeking the release of the list would press ahead. The information is important data that the public should have, he said.
Smith said he's not opposed "to doing what we have to do to get the information out there." And that could include suing the city, he said.
"If we have to do it, I'll support it," Smith said.
Other aldermen said further options would be explored.
"[Our lawyers] feel they have a good chance" of success, Ald. Joe Moore (49th) said. "We are going to continue to press the issue. The issue is not going to go away."
Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th), who made a request for the list that was denied, said she did not see Lefkow's decision as a major setback.
"I am not discouraged at all," she said. "The judge said she didn't have jurisdiction, so we will take it to the court that has jurisdiction," she said of the appeals court.
Mark Donahue, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said Thursday that he believes the aldermen are trying to get the names for political gain. He said he could see no good in releasing the names.
"We firmly believe that this attempt by these aldermen is irresponsible," Donahue said. "We recognize a need for transparency in government. However, that need must be balanced against the importance of protecting the officers, their family and the community at large."
The Fraternal Order of Police has filed an amicus brief, a document in support of the city's position not to release the names, with the appeals court. Doing so would unfairly call into question the officers' credibility, when many of the allegations are unsubstantiated, it argued in the brief.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... &cset=true
Lawyers for 28 aldermen asked U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow to make the list available, but Lefkow said the question of the list being released already is in the hands of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Matthew Piers, an attorney for the aldermen, said the group was simply asking Lefkow to have Mara Georges, the Daley administration's chief attorney, abide by previous promises that an unredacted list of the officers' names would be made available to them.
"We have agreed to make the confidential documents available to any City Council member who requests them," Georges wrote in a July 13 emergency motion seeking a stay of Lefkow's prior order to make the records available to the public.
Subsequent requests by aldermen for the information have been denied as the city has sought to maintain the confidentiality of the list.
Lefkow said her earlier order releasing the documents has been stayed while the higher court handles the question of the list's release. That seemingly was the same question being put to her again Thursday, the judge said.
Lefkow has said she would not stand in the way of the city turning over the list to the aldermen. But it is a political decision whether that happens, she said.
"I don't have a dog in this fight," Lefkow told the lawyers, including Georges, in her courtroom Thursday.
The aldermen have other options too, the judge said.
"If the aldermen want to sue the city to get the documents because they have some legal entitlement to them they can do that," Lefkow said.
Aldermen have been given a version of the document, but with the names of the officers redacted. The records showed that 10 officers assigned to the police department's Special Operations Section had 408 allegations of wrongdoing filed against them, and of those complaints just three were sustained by the Office of Professional Standards.
After the hearing, Piers said it remains his view that the only thing keeping the full list from being released is the judge's protective order supervising discovery in the underlying case. He said he would go back and discuss legal options with the group of aldermen.
Ald. Ed Smith (28th) attended the hearing and said the group seeking the release of the list would press ahead. The information is important data that the public should have, he said.
Smith said he's not opposed "to doing what we have to do to get the information out there." And that could include suing the city, he said.
"If we have to do it, I'll support it," Smith said.
Other aldermen said further options would be explored.
"[Our lawyers] feel they have a good chance" of success, Ald. Joe Moore (49th) said. "We are going to continue to press the issue. The issue is not going to go away."
Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th), who made a request for the list that was denied, said she did not see Lefkow's decision as a major setback.
"I am not discouraged at all," she said. "The judge said she didn't have jurisdiction, so we will take it to the court that has jurisdiction," she said of the appeals court.
Mark Donahue, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said Thursday that he believes the aldermen are trying to get the names for political gain. He said he could see no good in releasing the names.
"We firmly believe that this attempt by these aldermen is irresponsible," Donahue said. "We recognize a need for transparency in government. However, that need must be balanced against the importance of protecting the officers, their family and the community at large."
The Fraternal Order of Police has filed an amicus brief, a document in support of the city's position not to release the names, with the appeals court. Doing so would unfairly call into question the officers' credibility, when many of the allegations are unsubstantiated, it argued in the brief.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... &cset=true
"Cops that lie, need to die!" A police officer that lies to get an arrest or send someone to prison should be shot.
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
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WaTcHeR - Moderator
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by KC » 01 Mar 2008, Sat 7:19 pm
Officer Anthony Abbate
CHICAGO -- A lawyer for Chicago Police officer Anthony Abbate -- videotaped beating up a female bartender -- signaled Wednesday his client might plead guilty.
Abbate’s lawyer Peter Hickey requested a “402 conference,” in which prosecutors, defense counsel and a judge discuss a possible plea deal.
Hickey, prosecutors and Cook County Judge John Fleming then met behind closed doors for more than an hour.
After the conference, Hickey asked Fleming to order a pre-sentence investigation. Abbate will appear in court again on March 11.
Abbate, 38, is a 12-year police veteran charged with punching and kicking 115-pound Karolina Obrycka, a female bartender, at a Northwest Side tavern. The beating was caught on tape and gained worldwide attention.
Abbate, suspended from the police force, is charged with aggravated battery, as well as official misconduct, communicating with a witness, intimidation and conspiracy in the Feb. 19 incident at Jesse’s Shortstop Inn.
http://www.wbbm780.com/pages/1650044.php?
http://www.policecrimes.com
"A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against its government."
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KC - Assistant Moderator
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by WaTcHeR » 11 Mar 2008, Tue 1:53 pm
CHICAGO (CBS 2) ― The off-duty Chicago Police officer allegedly caught on tape last year beating a female bartender is expected to plead guilty Tuesday morning.
As CBS 2's Joanie Lum reports, there have been a couple of closed-door meetings between Cook County Criminal Court Judge John Fleming and Peter Hickey, the attorney for the notorious Chicago cop Anthony Abbate.
In a security videotape seen around the world, the 250-pound off-duty officer is allegedly the one seen punching and kicking 115-pound female bartender Karolina Obrycka at Jesse's Shortstop Inn, 5425 W. Belmont Ave.
The incident happened just over a year ago. Obrycka said she stopped serving Abbate because he was drunk and combative.
Abbate was charged with aggravated battery. He was also charged with official misconduct and trying to intimidate witnesses to the beating after another tape emerged showing friends allegedly trying to bribe the bartender to keep from pressing charges.
But the fallout went beyond the charges. Initially, police were criticized for waiting a month to arrest Abbate and originally charging him only with misdemeanor battery.
Published reports said it drudged up a stereotype the Chicago Police Department has been trying to shake since officers were seen on video beating protesters outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
Ultimately, the scandal helped lead to the resignation of police Supt. Philip Cline. When current Supt. Jody Weis took office, he said taking action against rogue officers would be a major part of his agenda.
Obrycka said she hopes Abbate receives prison time.
"You know, you cannot be happy for somebody to go to jail, but I think he deserves to sped some time in jail," Obrycka said. "I hope I'm going to be the last victim of his terrible behavior."
"It's not only cops, I'm sorry, police officers, but any guys that's hitting you, you're supposed to report it," Obrycka added.
Hickey asked the judge for a pre-sentence investigation, one of the steps that leads to a plea agreement. Last month, a source close to the case says Abbate, 38, will enter what's called a blind guilty plea. That means he'll make it with no promises from the judge about how light or how heavy his sentence might be.
Abbate is scheduled to appear in court at 9:30 a.m.
http://www.wbbm780.com/pages/1802599.php?
As CBS 2's Joanie Lum reports, there have been a couple of closed-door meetings between Cook County Criminal Court Judge John Fleming and Peter Hickey, the attorney for the notorious Chicago cop Anthony Abbate.
In a security videotape seen around the world, the 250-pound off-duty officer is allegedly the one seen punching and kicking 115-pound female bartender Karolina Obrycka at Jesse's Shortstop Inn, 5425 W. Belmont Ave.
The incident happened just over a year ago. Obrycka said she stopped serving Abbate because he was drunk and combative.
Abbate was charged with aggravated battery. He was also charged with official misconduct and trying to intimidate witnesses to the beating after another tape emerged showing friends allegedly trying to bribe the bartender to keep from pressing charges.
But the fallout went beyond the charges. Initially, police were criticized for waiting a month to arrest Abbate and originally charging him only with misdemeanor battery.
Published reports said it drudged up a stereotype the Chicago Police Department has been trying to shake since officers were seen on video beating protesters outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
Ultimately, the scandal helped lead to the resignation of police Supt. Philip Cline. When current Supt. Jody Weis took office, he said taking action against rogue officers would be a major part of his agenda.
Obrycka said she hopes Abbate receives prison time.
"You know, you cannot be happy for somebody to go to jail, but I think he deserves to sped some time in jail," Obrycka said. "I hope I'm going to be the last victim of his terrible behavior."
"It's not only cops, I'm sorry, police officers, but any guys that's hitting you, you're supposed to report it," Obrycka added.
Hickey asked the judge for a pre-sentence investigation, one of the steps that leads to a plea agreement. Last month, a source close to the case says Abbate, 38, will enter what's called a blind guilty plea. That means he'll make it with no promises from the judge about how light or how heavy his sentence might be.
Abbate is scheduled to appear in court at 9:30 a.m.
http://www.wbbm780.com/pages/1802599.php?
"Cops that lie, need to die!" A police officer that lies to get an arrest or send someone to prison should be shot.
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
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WaTcHeR - Moderator
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by WaTcHeR » 12 Mar 2008, Wed 5:08 pm
Officer Anthony Abbate
Moving with a swiftness that marks a shift in policy, the agency that reviews misconduct allegations against Chicago police recommended Tuesday that an off-duty officer caught on videotape viciously beating a female bartender be fired.
Police Supt. Jody Weis quickly backed the recommendation, saying Officer Anthony Abbate "crossed the line." The veteran officer still faces a 15-count criminal indictment.
Ilana Rosenzweig, the leader of the Independent Police Review Authority, said the recommendation signaled an effort by the office to act more swiftly in egregious cases of wrongdoing by officers.
In the past, the review board has delayed its investigation if necessary until criminal prosecutions of officers have been completed, but that process can take several years.
With more than 1,000 backlogged cases, some dating to 2004, Rosenzweig said the agency has a new mandate from the city to try to complete its investigations within six months.
"The whole point is to get to a more timely result in cases where it is possible to do so," she said.
In offering support for the board's recommendation, Weis said Abbate's proposed firing "illustrates the department's commitment to root out bad cops."
As part of that effort, Weis, a career FBI agent who took the helm of the Police Department on Feb. 1, is expected to soon issue a new mission statement of values to police officers. It will define the department's commitment to public service and professionalism and will be taught to officers in training and read at roll calls.
After an anti-gun rally on the South Side, Weis called the beefy Abbate's beating of the petite bartender "horrific."
"It brings great discredit not only to Chicago Police Department but the entire city," he said. "It has been on every news channel for months and months and months, and it is time to bring this to closure."
Abbate cannot be fired unless the Chicago Police Board approves, a process that could take months more.
Meanwhile, efforts to plea-bargain Abbate's criminal case appear to have fizzled, at least for the moment, prompting a Cook County judge on Tuesday to continue the matter until April 30.
Abbate was charged in March 2007 with pummeling Karolina Obrycka after she allegedly refused to serve him more drinks at Jesse's Short Stop Inn on the Northwest Side.A pre-sentencing report filed in court recently revealed that Abbate's mother believes he is an alcoholic, but he denied it. Abbate said he has not taken a drink since the night of the Feb. 19, 2007, incident, according to the report.
The beating, caught on videotape, contributed to the sudden retirement of then-Supt. Philip Cline and the overhaul of the agency that investigates police officer wrongdoing.
While the department-related probe of Abbate has taken a year to complete, Rosenzweig inherited the case in late July when she joined the renamed agency. At the beginning of her tenure, Rosenzweig said, she initiated a review of how to move cases along faster.
Rosenzweig recently hired attorneys on contract to help whittle down a backlog of officer complaints that totaled more than 1,500 in December, she said. She is also trying to add 14 more already budgeted investigators to her 38-member staff, though she said it is taking time to maneuver through the city's hiring process.
'The right policy'
University of Chicago law professor Craig Futterman, who has filed numerous lawsuits alleging misconduct by Chicago officers, applauded Rosenzweig's decision not to wait for an officer's criminal case to conclude before recommending a firing. But he said Abbate's is an obvious case that should have been decided months ago.
In the past, few officers were criminally charged for misconduct, so a shift in policy would not necessarily have much impact, Futterman said.
"But it's certainly the right policy," he said.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi- ... 4138.story
"Cops that lie, need to die!" A police officer that lies to get an arrest or send someone to prison should be shot.
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
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WaTcHeR - Moderator
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by WaTcHeR » 19 May 2008, Mon 8:43 pm
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"Cops that lie, need to die!" A police officer that lies to get an arrest or send someone to prison should be shot.
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
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WaTcHeR - Moderator
- Posts: 8268
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by WaTcHeR » 19 May 2008, Mon 8:43 pm
Officer Anthony Abbate is a coward.
"Cops that lie, need to die!" A police officer that lies to get an arrest or send someone to prison should be shot.
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
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WaTcHeR - Moderator
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by WaTcHeR » 23 Jul 2008, Wed 11:36 pm
Anthony Abbate — the Chicago police officer whose videotaped beating of a female bartender was seen around the world — will go to trial on felony charges Nov. 19.
Abbate, 39, is charged with beating Karolina Obrycka at Jesse's Shortstop Inn on the Northwest Side on Feb. 19, 2007.
His lawyer, Peter Hickey, had entered plea negotiations with prosecutors, but the talks fell apart over prosecutors' demands that Abbate serve time in a state penitentiary, sources said.
On Wednesday morning, Abbate and Hickey appeared before Judge John Fleming — and Hickey requested the November date for a jury trial.
"I'm requesting that this matter be given some time to settle down," Hickey said.
Every time the case comes up in court, the lawyer said, "the airwaves are inundated with the tape of this incident."
Fleming agreed to the November date, and added, "It will be old enough."
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/cop.beatin ... 77984.html
Abbate, 39, is charged with beating Karolina Obrycka at Jesse's Shortstop Inn on the Northwest Side on Feb. 19, 2007.
His lawyer, Peter Hickey, had entered plea negotiations with prosecutors, but the talks fell apart over prosecutors' demands that Abbate serve time in a state penitentiary, sources said.
On Wednesday morning, Abbate and Hickey appeared before Judge John Fleming — and Hickey requested the November date for a jury trial.
"I'm requesting that this matter be given some time to settle down," Hickey said.
Every time the case comes up in court, the lawyer said, "the airwaves are inundated with the tape of this incident."
Fleming agreed to the November date, and added, "It will be old enough."
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/cop.beatin ... 77984.html
"Cops that lie, need to die!" A police officer that lies to get an arrest or send someone to prison should be shot.
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
"In the U.S., a cop with a gun can commit the most heinous crime and be given the benefit of the doubt."
"The U.S. Government does not have rights, it has privileges delegated to it by the people."
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WaTcHeR - Moderator
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