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Lawyer: Beaten Bartender Offered Bribe For Silence

Investigators Looking Into Allegations That Woman Was Threatened If She Went Public About Attack

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CHICAGO (CBS) ― Investigators are trying to find out if someone intimidated a woman to keep quiet after being beaten, allegedly by an off-duty Chicago Police officer, in an attack that was caught on tape.

Anthony Abbate, a 12-year veteran of the Lincoln Police District on the North Side, has been charged with felony aggravated battery in the beating of Karolina Obrycka, 24, at Jesse's Shortstop Inn Tavern, at 5425 W. Belmont Ave.

Video shot by the tavern in February shows Abbate's attack on the woman, who is half his size, was so violent the bar itself shakes.

Obrycka's attorney, Terry Ekl, said the bartender had refused to serve Abbate any more drinks, prompting the attack.

On Thursday, Ekl said Obrycka had first been offered money to keep quiet about her story by someone associated with Abbate.

Later, Ekl claimed, the owner of the bar was also told that if she did not keep quiet about her story, drugs would be planted in the bar and in Obrycka's vehicle, and that customers at the bar would be harassed.

Ekl said he intends to file a lawsuit within several weeks and that it could name the police department if it's shown that "Abbate was using police powers in making the threat." "If that's the case," he said, "then that will broaden the lawsuit."

Prosecutors are investigating adding possible obstruction of justice and intimidating a witness charges stemming from the allegations.

"Another individual came in moments after the attack and attempted to offer the victim money in order for her not to prosecute the defendant," Cook County Assistant State's Atty. David Navarro said.

Further, Ekl alleged that police gave Abbate special treatment because he was a fellow officer.

"They were not treating him the same way they would treat any other citizen," he said.

Police are investigating this issue, department News Affairs Deputy Director Monique Bond said.

Bond denied police ever rallied around Abbate because he was a fellow officer, and she said his "despicable behavior" shouldn't reflect on the department.

Obrycka, who emigrated from Poland four years ago and has a 16-month-old boy here, suffered bruises to her head, neck, back and lower body in the attack; she should recover physically but her emotional wounds may be longer-lasting, Ekl said.

"She has literally nightmares about what happened and she's very afraid of the police," he said. "She's fearful of the police and she's fearful of this guy coming back to her house."


No One Stepped In During Attack
As the video shows, during the attack, bystanders looked on, but no one stepped in. No one helped the woman until she was back on her feet again.

On Thursday, Ekl said this might have been because many of the patrons knew Abbate was a police officer and believed he might be armed. Officials have said it has not yet been learned whether Abbate was carrying his weapon at the time of the attack, but it was believed he was not.

Abbate was released Wednesday afternoon after posting 10 percent of his $70,000 bond. He has been put on leave pending an internal investigation, and Bond said he was expected to be fired "as quickly as the administrative process will allow."

But Ekl alleged police also tried to have Abbate charged with a lesser offense.

"The Chicago Police Department made a unilateral decision that they were going to charge him only with a misdemeanor without telling the State's Attorney's Office," said Ekl.

Prosecutors took over and filed felony aggravated battery charges.

"It's one of the most brutal and savage attacks that I have seen caught on tape," said prosecutor Navarro said.

The February attack, caught on the Tavern's surveillance camera, was Abbate's second assault of the evening, say prosecutors.

"The defendant had attacked another customer earlier that evening. He placed him in a headlock and punched that individual repeatedly," Navarro said.

Abbate is no stranger to drunken behavior.

He was one of 100 Chicago police officers who had been hired despite having prior drug or alcohol related driving offenses.

Abbate had also been arrested for drag racing and driving on a suspended license.

"Until you told me we did not know he had a prior DUI," Ekl said to CBS 2's Dave Savini.

Chicago Police were called, the night of the attack, but when they arrived Abbate was long gone.

When Savini interviewed him 5 years ago, Abbate said he was sorry for his prior drunk driving and would never do anything like that again. He was also named in a civil rights suit back then. That plaintiff is deceased.

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