Drunken off-duty Cop Brutally Assualts Female Bartender

[Crazed Rabbit]

Luckily, there was video evidence, or the Chicago cop might not have been charged.

But first, Question Time!
If you were drunk and attacked a cop who had done nothing to threaten or provoke you, would the cops:
A) Not arrest you until several weeks after the incident (say, on March 14 if you did the deed February 19)
B) Try to bribe the victim to stay silent
C) Charge you with a misdemeanor
D) Not handcuff you when arresting you
E) Only charge you with a felony after a video of your vicious assault became widespread news
F) Beat the everliving :daisy: out of you, taser you, and perhaps shoot you, before cuffing you with a knee to your head on the ground and haul you off to the slammer if you're still alive.

As it turns out, if you're a cop in Chicago, the cops will do A, B, C, D, and E for you if you drunkenly assault a female bartender much smaller than you. Isn't that great? A stunning example of protecting and serving, that. A shining example of the objective and bias-free way justice is handled by major police departments, specifically Chicago.

Now, I'm not going to use this one guy to slander all cops - I'm going to use the way the CPD responded to this crime to slander their blatant corruption. And they say only cops should have guns. Funny thing about that - the CPD got all hot and bothered about a potential state law forbidding domestic violence offenders from having guns if it included cops. They said they could control the cops, because any potential offenders would not just be wife-beaters, but closely supervised wife-beaters. Not closely enough to prevent the beatings of a spouse, but hey, cops can't be everywhere, can they? And just because a man is such a disgusting animal to beat his loved one, doesn't mean he's not fit to hold a gun and dole out justice in Chicago!

A video on the incident:
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=2731642&version=7&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1

A story:
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=2733023&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1

The raw video:
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=2734902&version=7&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1
(I wonder if the mayor regrets his enthusiasm for private video cameras at businesses?)

Crazed Rabbit

[Vladimir]

Read up, it's Chicago. Search for words like Capone and Daley. :policeman:

[Goofball]

Luckily, there was video evidence, or the Chicago cop might not have been charged.

But first, Question Time!
If you were drunk and attacked a cop who had done nothing to threaten or provoke you, would the cops:
A) Not arrest you until several weeks after the incident (say, on March 14 if you did the deed February 19)
B) Try to bribe the victim to stay silent
C) Charge you with a misdemeanor
D) Not handcuff you when arresting you
E) Only charge you with a felony after a video of your vicious assault became widespread news
F) Beat the everliving :daisy: out of you, taser you, and perhaps shoot you, before cuffing you with a knee to your head on the ground and haul you off to the slammer if you're still alive.

As it turns out, if you're a cop in Chicago, the cops will do A, B, C, D, and E for you if you drunkenly assault a female bartender much smaller than you. Isn't that great? A stunning example of protecting and serving, that. A shining example of the objective and bias-free way justice is handled by major police departments, specifically Chicago.

Now, I'm not going to use this one guy to slander all cops - I'm going to use the way the CPD responded to this crime to slander their blatant corruption. And they say only cops should have guns. Funny thing about that - the CPD got all hot and bothered about a potential state law forbidding domestic violence offenders from having guns if it included cops. They said they could control the cops, because any potential offenders would not just be wife-beaters, but closely supervised wife-beaters. Not closely enough to prevent the beatings of a spouse, but hey, cops can't be everywhere, can they? And just because a man is such a disgusting animal to beat his loved one, doesn't mean he's not fit to hold a gun and dole out justice in Chicago!

A video on the incident:
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=2731642&version=7&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1

A story:
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=2733023&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1

The raw video:
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=2734902&version=7&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1
(I wonder if the mayor regrets his enthusiasm for private video cameras at businesses?)

Crazed Rabbit

I agree with most points, with the exception of "A." The bad-guy apparently had immediately checked himself into a rehab clinic after the incident. Apparently the cops are not allowed (by law) to pull somebody out of rehab to arrest them.

The rest of the incident seriously stinks though.

[Lemur]

Disgusting. Thoroughly disgusting. As a guy with several police officers in his family, I'm ashamed of both the incident and the sloppy attempt at a coverup.

My uncle worked internal affairs for years, and he still gets maudlin when he's drinking, talking about all the cops he sent to prison. He's got a fair-sized burden of guilt about it. Incidents like this show how necessary guys like him are.

[Csargo]

That's truely sickening behavior by a cop no less. I'm disgusted.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Well, there was a time when if this happened in Britain the Police would go ape on the guy for disrespeting his uniform.

These days?

I don't know. Probably not quite that corrupt though.

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

Well, there was a time when if this happened in Britain the Police would go ape on the guy for disrespeting his uniform.

These days?

I don't know. Probably not quite that corrupt though.

Yeah, the police force is more corrupt and violent now than it used to be. Jack Regan, where art thou?

:dizzy2:

[KrooK]

American Street Warrior :)

But have you seen that movie. There were at least 4 men and they did nothing. In 4 they could easy stop that guy.

[JimBob]

Welcome to my city. Best in the world, except for our cops all believing that 'Thin Blue Line' crap :wall: Sometimes I want to become a cop just so I can work IA.

[Papewaio]

I'm ashamed of both the incident and the sloppy attempt at a coverup.

That doesn't seem to come across as it was intended...

[Husar]

Disgusting.
He and whoever tried to cover that up should not be allowed to serve as policemen ever again.:thumbsdown:

[Blodrast]

That doesn't seem to come across as it was intended...

LOL @ Pape, Lemur.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Yeah, the police force is more corrupt and violent now than it used to be. Jack Regan, where art thou?

:dizzy2:

More morally corrupt, less operationally corrupt, perhaps?

When people got fitted up do you think the coppers were trying to fill a quota or do you think they actually thought the poor sods did it?

Not that institutional corruption is a good thing, but I'd rather have a Policeman who bent the rules in order to catch villains than a Policeman who followed the rules and didn't give a flying hadock.

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

When people got fitted up do you think the coppers were trying to fill a quota or do you think they actually thought the poor sods did it?

Oh, they thought they did it! Well, that's all right then! Vigilantism and brutality versus increased bureacracy-it's no contest.

I fail to see how being willing to frame people, intimidate witnesses, plant evidence and all the rest of the stuff that went on back then is evidence of moral fibre. In any case, we were talking about a case of police brutality-which would be absolutely guaranteed to be dealt with far more seriously now in the UK.

[Major Robert Dump]

Cops don't make mistakes, they are always right, she deserved it, she had an accent. All cops are perfect. Somebody get that guy a bottle and a promotion.

[English assassin]

Well, there was a time when if this happened in Britain the Police would go ape on the guy for disrespeting his uniform.

Someone needs to watch Life on Mars...:yes:

It wasn't all Dixon of Dock Green in the good old days you know.

[Crazed Rabbit]

I agree with most points, with the exception of "A." The bad-guy apparently had immediately checked himself into a rehab clinic after the incident. Apparently the cops are not allowed (by law) to pull somebody out of rehab to arrest them.

The rest of the incident seriously stinks though.

I don't know the legalities around that, but I think ten'll get you twenty the cops wouldn't be stopped by that if a cop beater was in rehab. And I'm pretty sure some other cops, like the guy who went to the bar to try and bribe the lady, knew about this before he checked in.


Welcome to my city. Best in the world, except for our cops all believing that 'Thin Blue Line' crap Sometimes I want to become a cop just so I can work IA.

I think I will make less fun of the Seattle cops who took ten hours to disarm one mentally ill guy with a sword. Better too little than too much.

CR

[screwtype]

Pretty ugly, but the guy was practically legless and could hardly stand up, let alone do any serious damage to someone.

Not trying to defend him, but we only got to see little clips of his behaviour, did the bartender do something stupid to provoke him when he was blind drunk and obviously lacking in self control?

And how did he get so smashed in the first place anyhow? Shouldn't she have stopped serving him long before he started assaulting people?

[Crazed Rabbit]

Screwtype, here's the raw video:
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=2734902&version=7&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1

She did nothing to provoke him.

And frankly, even if she said 'screw off' it shouldn't have mattered - he's a police officer. That's why this incident is so big.

He was stomping on her while she was on the ground, and left bruises and injuries on her head. That's serious damage.

Crazed Rabbit

[TB666]

Screwtype, here's the raw video:
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=2734902&version=7&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1


:jawdrop:
What the...
That is just disgusting.
Hope the bastard gets a long time behind bars.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Pretty ugly, but the guy was practically legless and could hardly stand up, let alone do any serious damage to someone.

Not trying to defend him, but we only got to see little clips of his behaviour, did the bartender do something stupid to provoke him when he was blind drunk and obviously lacking in self control?What, a woman gets beat up by a two hundred pound berserk beast and you're asking what she did wrong? Blaming the girl for provoking some poor defenseless guy without self control? Looking for the skirt that was too short?

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Oh, they thought they did it! Well, that's all right then! Vigilantism and brutality versus increased bureacracy-it's no contest.

I fail to see how being willing to frame people, intimidate witnesses, plant evidence and all the rest of the stuff that went on back then is evidence of moral fibre. In any case, we were talking about a case of police brutality-which would be absolutely guaranteed to be dealt with far more seriously now in the UK.

No it's not all right, and you know I never said it was. Today's Police are broken backed, don't care and are obsessed with targets, however.

What I'm saying is that before all that broke cover by and large the Police probably cared, since they didn't have to fill targets if they fitted someone up they probably thought they did it. Now they fin ingenous, legal, ways to prosecute old women just to fill targets.

So what I'm saying is that, given the fact that crime is rising and our prisons are stuffed full while actual detection rates are, if anything, falling I can see the virtues of operational vs moral corruption.

EA: You don't think DCI Gene Hunt would beat a Policeman like the one in the article half to death with his fists?

[Crazed Rabbit]

:jawdrop:
What the...
That is just disgusting.
Hope the bastard gets a long time behind bars.

Indeed. What may be worse is his fellow cops tried to charge him with a mere misdemeanor crime (a lower class of crime than a felony, which is what he is now charged with). And the Chicago Police want to let cops who do this to their wives or girlfriends remain on the force and still have guns.

This is one of the times I love the media, for shining a great big light on this. Without the press, this guy would have got off easy.

Crazed Rabbit

[screwtype]

What, a woman gets beat up by a two hundred pound berserk beast and you're asking what she did wrong? Blaming the girl for provoking some poor defenseless guy without self control? Looking for the skirt that was too short?

No, I'm not blaming her, but when someone is blind legless drunk it is wise to employ some tact. Now I thought I saw in some of that footage that she's sort of pushing and shoving at him before he loses his cool. Seems to me that's a very unwise thing to do.

Obviously the video shows something pretty ugly, I guess my concern was, what do we really know about this cop? Is this typical behaviour from him, or is it just one alcohol-soaked moment of loss of control in what might otherwise be a respectable career? Was he under any particular stress in order to get so very drunk, or is such drunkenness a pattern with him? I mean, it's easy to conclude from this video that the guy is some kind of monster, but how good would any of us look if our worst moment was caught on video?

They were my initial reactions, but then I guess one has to ask what kind of guy allows himself to get so smashed in the first place, and let's face it, it probably isn't the type of person you want wearing a badge. I think if he was a cop in my town I'd want to see him out of the force, pronto.

[Crazed Rabbit]

Obviously the video shows something pretty ugly, I guess my concern was, what do we really know about this cop? Is this typical behaviour from him, or is it just one alcohol-soaked moment of loss of control in what might otherwise be a respectable career? Was he under any particular stress in order to get so very drunk, or is such drunkenness a pattern with him? I mean, it's easy to conclude from this video that the guy is some kind of monster, but how good would any of us look if our worst moment was caught on video?

This is Chicago, corrupt sewer of politicians and cops. He could have done this before and had his superiors know about it and still be on the force. He was arrested drunk driving two years before becoming a cop.

This is, most likely, not the exception to his behavior, but the rule. The only exception is this time a camera caught him.

I would hope all the cops in the US could say their worst moment is far better than this. In Chicago, though...

Crazed Rabbit

[screwtype]

This is Chicago, corrupt sewer of politicians and cops. He could have done this before and had his superiors know about it and still be on the force. He was arrested drunk driving two years before becoming a cop.

This is, most likely, not the exception to his behavior, but the rule. The only exception is this time a camera caught him.

I would hope all the cops in the US could say their worst moment is far better than this. In Chicago, though...

Crazed Rabbit

Yeah, you're probably right. It's kind of unlikely this guy would be caught doing something like this on video if it wasn't an established pattern of behaviour.

[Major Robert Dump]

he didn'ty know he was being taped.

and as far as her pushing him:

a)patrons arent allowed behind the bar without a liquor license
b)he had already assaulted the customer on the left earlier

someone should have broken a bottle and shanked him in his fat hamhock neck. you don't treat people like that, period, let alone a petite woman who is just trying to maintain order.

[screwtype]

someone should have broken a bottle and shanked him in his fat hamhock neck

Oh yes, let's just murder people who get drunk and behave like a-holes. That will do so much to improve social standards.


he had already assaulted the customer on the left earlier

So why didn't the bartender just call the cops at that stage? Wouldn't that have been the sensible thing to do?

Pubs can get sued these days for failing to refuse alcohol to people who have clearly had too much. This guy was practically paralytic, why did the establishment wait so long before refusing to serve him?

And why was this petite bartender left to handle the guy all by herself? Wasn't there a bouncer, or some other male employees who could have helped her throw him out?

While the cop was clearly guilty of an assault here, it seems to me he may not have been the only party whose behaviour could be called into question.

[TB666]

I see nothing wrong with her behavior.
He tried to go behind the bar, she tried to stop him which she is suppose to do and he went berserk.
So nothing that really could be considered to be provoking except for a man who is hostile and aggressive in nature which is something she couldn't know before hand.

[Husar]

The bartender looks a lot better and that alone...:oops:

[screwtype]

I see nothing wrong with her behavior

Okay, I guess what happened is that she refused to serve him more alcohol after he assaulted another customer, after which he got behind the bar to try to serve himself. She came back, tried to push him out from behind the bar, and he went nuts.

Her behaviour from that POV is understandable I guess, but why did she wait so long to stop serving him? And was it wise to start pushing a guy who had already shown a propensity for violence? I don't think she handled the situation well.

However, I do think at the very least that establishment should be looking at its policies concerning the serving of inebriated customers, and also be looking at enhancing security for its staff. That female bartender appeared to be looking after the bar all by herself, which is leaving her pretty vulnerable.

[JimBob]

So why didn't the bartender just call the cops at that stage? Wouldn't that have been the sensible thing to do?
See you're dealing with the city of Chicago. You call the cops on another cop and they'll show up to arrest you. Or they'll take a good hour or two to show up.

[Blodrast]

Eh.... why did she wait so long to stop serving him ? Why did she not call the cops ? Why did she not do more to avoid getting beaten up ? Why did she push him when he tried to get behind the counter ?

Do you see a pattern here ?
Stop trying to shift the blame on her, will ya ? Or on the estalishment's policies, or on anything else except the cop.
How about "Why the heck did HE beat her up ?"

As for calling the cops... how do you know she didn't ? Moreover, this was a bar/pub. I hardly think it's feasible to call the cops for every single guy that gets drunk in there and starts shouting or swearing. 'cause I bet that happens a lot, what with it being a place that serves alcoholic drinks, you know ?

[Crazed Rabbit]

Oh yes, let's just murder people who get drunk and behave like a-holes. That will do so much to improve social standards.

So now, pummeling another person into the ground and stomping on them is just a-hole behavior? And besides, getting shanked doesn't necessarily kill you. I'm in total agreement with MRD here.

And you know what, I'm betting it definitely would improve social standards.


This guy was practically paralytic, why did the establishment wait so long before refusing to serve him?

You're assuming an awful lot to support your view.

Crazed Rabbit

[TB666]

but why did she wait so long to stop serving him?
How was she suppose to know ??
It is not like there is a rule for how much alcohol it takes before a person gets hostile.
And I have seen no source on how drunk he was at the time.
He may not have had that much to drink in the first place before turning violent.


And was it wise to start pushing a guy who had already shown a propensity for violence?
So she should have just let him do whatever he wants ??
She should have let him beat up the other customer and maybe even wreck the entire bar ??
And calling the cops seemed to have worked well as well.
They offered her a bribe to keep her mouth shut, great help:2thumbsup: .
She did what the job requires her to do and she did it.


However, I do think at the very least that establishment should be looking at its policies concerning the serving of inebriated customers, and also be looking at enhancing security for its staff. That female bartender appeared to be looking after the bar all by herself, which is leaving her pretty vulnerable.
They probably will look at it.
My guess is that this was just some small bar where things generally are pretty quiet hence no bouncer.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

People can suddenly turn, can suddenly appear drunk, can appear lucid but be drunk.

People are also responsible for their own actions, including getting drunk and beating people.

[Crazed Rabbit]

See you're dealing with the city of Chicago. You call the cops on another cop and they'll show up to arrest you. Or they'll take a good hour or two to show up.

Or they'll just do nothing at all when they show up:

In the Dec. 15 beating at the Jefferson Tap and Grille, one alleged victim required reconstructive surgery on his face and another suffered four broken ribs, said Sally Saltzberg, a lawyer for the men.

Other bar patrons called 911. But when patrol officers responded, the off-duty officers involved allegedly spoke to them and the patrol officers left without intervening, sources said.

Security cameras inside and outside the bar recorded most of the beating, said Saltzberg, who said she has not seen the tape herself.
...
The video depicts one of the off-duty officers, who is a sergeant, waving off a responding officer, a law enforcement source said. The responding officers then left the scene.

The cops who did that back in December still haven't been charged. (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-070325jefferson-story,1,3891028.story?coll=chi-news-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true)

That's why calling the cops won't do crap if a cop is attacking you in Chicago.

Fits in nicely with the gun ban in Chicago - can't have uppity citizens trying to challenge police lordship by defending themselves from criminals, whether or not they have a badge.

Crazed Rabbit

[screwtype]

As I've already said, I'm not trying to excuse what this cop did. I'm simply saying I see a problem with a guy getting as sloshed as that in the first place.

My suspicion is that this place is a cheap dive that runs on minimum staff and has a policy of soaking customers to the last penny. That's my conclusion from this customer's state of inebriation and the apparent lack of security at the bar.

It doesn't the mean the cop must not be held responsible for his actions. But it might be argued that responsibility for this incident may at least to some extent be shared by an establishment that allowed him to reach such a state in the first place.

[Husar]

But it might be argued that responsibility for this incident may at least to some extent be shared by an establishment that allowed him to reach such a state in the first place.
You can reach that state on any student or school party(at least where I live:sweatdrop: ), if he was completely intoxicated, how could he turn around quickly and not miss her head all the time? If he had way too much alcohol, he'd be in a worse state than what can be seen on the video I think, what I call overdone is when he falls onto the ground trying to stand up.~;)
But even then it's his own fault if he gets drunk past a certain point, especially as a police officer he should be able to restrain himself.

[screwtype]

But even then it's his own fault if he gets drunk past a certain point, especially as a police officer he should be able to restrain himself.

Yes, I agree with that. Even if policing is a stressful job, getting that out of it is not appropriate for a police officer. If he needs to get paralytic now and again, he should at least do it with a few friends who can make sure he doesn't do anything stupid.