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Mar 28, 2007 12:05 am US/Central
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6 Officers Stripped Of Police Powers After Beating
Cops Allegedly Caught On Tape Beating Group Of Businessmen At A Bar
CBS 2's Mike Parker and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
A crackdown on Chicago police officers was announced after two high-profile beatings were publicized in which off-duty officers are accused of serious crimes.
Superintendent Phil Cline spoke out about the bar beating scandals Tuesday night, and as CBS 2's Mike Parker reports, he had some tough words for police officers on the wrong side of the law.
Cline said he has seen the video of the bar fight last December involving several of his officers, and he doesn't like what he's seen. He said criminal charges will soon be filed against those officers.
The officers were off-duty when they allegedly got into a physical altercation with four men. At one point, police were called to the scene of the altercation but a sergeant who was among the officers involved in the incident waved them off, Cline said.
"I've spent almost 38 years of my life as a police officer and I am disgusted to witness this type of conduct," Cline said at a news conference Tuesday evening.
The Dec. 15 incident was captured on videotape but the tape has not been released to the public. It's the second time in less than a week that claims surfaced of such misbehavior by off-duty officers at Chicago bars.
He said he is stripping police powers for the six officers caught on video involved in the beating of four civilians at the Jefferson Tap & Grille last December. Cline said in the future he will move quicker on cases like that one, as well as the February beating of a female bartender.
Cline said Tuesday that he is changing the way the police department responds to allegations of misconduct. Police officials will now move faster to get officers who have been accused of misconduct off the street.
"I am disgusted to witness this type of conduct, especially because these individuals are supposed to be upholding the law not breaking it," Cline said.
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. The businessmen's injuries allegedly included a broken nose and broken ribs.
In the second incident, 12-year police veteran Anthony Abbate was allegedly caught on videotape striking a 115-pound, female bartender at Jesse's Short Stop Inn on Chicago's northwest side while he was off duty.
Prosecutors dropped a misdemeanor charge of simple battery against Abbate Tuesday. He now faces upgraded charges of felony aggravated battery.
The videotape, shown repeatedly around the country, shows a large man that police said was Abbate punching, kicking and throwing 24-year-old bartender Karolina Obrycka to the floor on Feb. 19 after she allegedly refused to continue serving him drinks.
Obrycka, who immigrated to Chicago from Poland four years ago and has a 16-month-old son, suffered bruises to her head, neck, back and lower body, said her attorney, Terry Ekl.
The state's attorney's office and police also are looking into claims that Abbate and at least one other person threatened Obrycka and the owner of the bar, police have said.
Abbate has been placed on leave and police have said they intend to fire him.
Cline said that he has ordered an investigation into allegations that officers helped Abbate enter and leave the court building Tuesday so he didn't have to face the media outside.
Cline said he was moving to demote the watch commander that allowed police officers to block the public's access to an area Abbate used to leave the court house without being viewed by the media.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)