Apr 3, 2008 10:43 am US/Central
Cop Indicted On Charge Of Beating Man At Hospital
Authorities Say Officer William Cozzi Beat Man Who Was Handcuffed In Wheelchair
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
A Chicago Police officer has been charged by federal authorities for allegedly using a dangerous weapon to beat a wheelchair-bound man.
William Cozzi, 50, was indicted Thursday on charges of violating the federal civil rights of a man he is accused of beating with an unspecified "dangerous weapon" while on duty on Aug. 2, 2005. At the time, the man was restrained in handcuffs and bound in a wheelchair at Norwegian-American Hospital, the U.S. Attorney's office said.
Cozzi is charged with violating the victim's civil right "to be free from the use of unreasonable force by a person acting under color of law."
"Every citizen, regardless of being in police custody, has a Constitutional right to be free from the use of unreasonable force by law enforcement officers," U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said.
Cozzi, 50, has been a Chicago Police officer since 1992, and worked in the Grand Central District at the time of the alleged beating. He was later suspended, the U.S. Attorney's office said.
If convicted of the crime, Cozzi could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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