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Cop Faces New Charges In Bartender Beating

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Cop Faces New Charges In Bartender Beating

Video Allegedly Showing Anthony Abbate Beating Bartender Shook Police Department

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CBS 2's Mike Parker, Chief Correspondent Jay Levine and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
CHICAGO (CBS) ― Suspended Chicago Police Officer Anthony Abbate has been charged with 14 additional counts stemming from his alleged beating of a female bartender, which was caught on tape.

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.

Chicago police showed silent support for Abbate when this investigation began, but that may no longer be the case.

Friday there was no special treatment: no private entrance, no blocking cameras, like police did last time for one of their own. Abbate was treated like any other suspect going to court. The embattled officer showed up alone, in plain view of cameras.

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.

"He was going to plant drugs in those people's cars in the bar and to harass patrons coming out and charge them with DUI if she went forward with her accusations," Ekl said.

Critics believe police and prosecutors' throwing the book at Abbate does not necessarily signal a change in the way Chicago handles police misconduct cases.

"How much long did it take to get to that point?" asked Flint Taylor of People's Law Office. "How much media international national embarrassment … did it take before they did what they should have done from the beginning?"

A spokesman for States Attorney Dick Devine says there's been a "continuing emphasis on police misconduct" with charges brought against an average of an officer a month.

But a recent study by a University of Chicago professor indicated brutality complaints 94 percent less likely to be sustained here, than anywhere else in America.

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.

After Abbate's brief court appearance, his new attorney did not have much more to say than his silent client.

"When the facts get in, we'll address those facts," Hickey said. "He's presumed to be innocent."

"The information upon which these new charges are based was known to OPS within 48 hours of the incident," Ekl said. "This is the perfect example of why the Chicago Police Department should not be investigating one of their own."

The new charges against Abbate come more than two months after the attack and alleged attempted cover-up. The bartender's lawyer says the more serious felony charges were filed only after the state's attorney began an investigation.

"Unless the leaders -- and I mean the mayor, I mean the police superintendent, I mean the States Attorney of Cook County -- change their attitudes about the importance of these cases, dealing with the officers who commit repeatedly these crimes, then no things aren't gonna change," Taylor said.

Then again, few cases have revealed the flaws in the system the way this one has. Accepting his superintendent's resignation when he did, it's clear the issue has Mayor Richard Daley's attention. And hat's the only way change is even possible.

Abbate will be arraigned on the new charges, all felonies, on May 16. It is likely that at that time prosecutors will ask that his bond be increased. He's currently free on a $70,000 bond.

(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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