Police in south suburban Oak Lawn are facing scrutiny after footage posted to social media showed officers striking a suspect, reportedly a teenager, several times following a foot chase, NBC 5’s Charlie Wojciechowski reports.
The suburban teenager at the center of a controversial arrest, in which Oak Lawn police officers were seen beating the 17-year-old on camera following a foot chase, has been charged with a total of five crimes, including two felonies, according to authorities. The teenager has been charged with one count of felony aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, felony resisting arrest, two counts of misdemeanor resisting arrest and one count of possession of cannabis by a passenger in a motor vehicle.
According to police, the incident unfolded last Wednesday when an officer on patrol detected the smell of burnt cannabis coming from a vehicle, which had no front license plate. The officer pulled the vehicle over and directed the driver to exit, according to police. After the driver got out, officers asked the rear driver’s side passenger to exit the vehicle, noting he “appeared nervous and had an accessory bag draped over his shoulder.” When asked to place his hands on the vehicle, the 17-year-old took off running, as shown in dash camera video of the incident released by the Oak Lawn Police Department. Officers attempt to apprehend the suspect near 95th Street and McVicker Avenue, but a struggle ensued when they tried to take him to the ground, police said. The suspect grabbed his bag and tried to open it, according to police, who said the teen didn’t comply when given verbal commands. Fearing the suspect was reaching for a weapon in the bag, the officers attempted to physically gain control of his hands, police said.
The video released by Oak Lawn police showed one officer hitting the teen multiple times on the legs, while another struck him near his head. Approximately one minute later, officers tased the individual and took him into custody shortly after.
Oak Lawn police defended its officers’ actions, saying the subject “refused to listen to verbal commands which resulted in a physical confrontation with two officers.”
WATCH:
I’m not trying to defend police brutality, but in this instance, it clearly looks like the police feared that there was a weapon inside the bag. So they tried to get the bag from him, and he was not letting the bag go. So the police had no choice but to do what they had to do to get the bag. When the police DID finally get the bag from him, they pulled out a gun from the bag, confirming their worst fears. What other choice did they have, in this instance, to get the bag out of his hand?
I can’t wait to grab my next free 89 inch plasma tv off the shelf of my local Target before burning the store down to the ground. Racial justice will be served.