Youth’s family hires lawyer after video with cops surfaces

By: Chip Mitchell, WBEZ 91.5: April 5th, 2011

A veteran Chicago attorney says he is representing a young man shown on video in the backseat of a Chicago police SUV.

The video, shot March 19, shows a backdoor of the SUV open as onlookers flash gang signs and taunt the young man. The officers are outside the vehicle, a Chevrolet Tahoe with police markings, and appear to be standing by.

Attorney Arthur Loevy says the young man is a minor whom the officers loaded into the SUV against his will before driving him to the Humboldt Park block where a bystander shot the 90-second video.

Residents of that block say the house closest to the SUV is a base of a street gang that operates in the neighborhood. They say the officers drove away with the young man after about five minutes.

Loevy says the officers then dropped the youth off nearby and did not charge him. The attorney says the young man made it home OK but is moving out of Chicago for his own safety.

After WBEZ spotted the video, the police department said it put the officers on desk duty and began an internal investigation. Interim police Supt. Terry Hillard said tactics to scare kids straight are always inappropriate.

WBEZ is not naming the officers at this time.

Meanwhile, neighbors involved with CAPS, the city’s community-policing program, want the department to return the officers to beat duty.

News

Take Action Today

To discuss your case with an experienced civil rights attorney, contact our firm today for a free and confidential consultation at 888-644-6459 (toll-free) or 312-243-5900.

Our Impact

Read the latest blog posts, articles, and writings from Loevy + Loevy’s attorneys and staff.

Loevy & Loevy has won more multi-million dollar verdicts than perhaps any other law firm in the country over the past decade. 

We take on the nation’s most difficult public interest cases, advocating in and outside the courtroom to secure justice for our clients and to hold officials, governments, and corporations accountable.

Scroll to Top