The man seen being stomped on by a Chicago Police officer in a newly posted video was released from custody without being charged “pending further investigation,” officials said Wednesday.
The video, posted to Facebook on Monday, appears to show an officer struggling to arrest a man in the 3900 block of West Grenshaw. Another officer pulls up and orders onlookers to step back. He then radios for assistance before walking over to the man on the ground — who was still trying to get away — and apparently kicking him in the head.
The suspect was arrested after the officers recovered three Ziploc bags of heroin from him following a foot chase, Chicago Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said.
On Tuesday, Guglielmi said the officer seen kicking the man was stripped of his police powers as IPRA investigated the incident.
Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Michelle Tannehill said Wednesday that the man was released from police custody with no charges filed against him “pending further investigation.”
The Fraternal Order of Police, the union representing all rank-and-file members of the police department, posted a statement to its website Wednesday decrying the lack of any criminal charges.
“Upon taking the oath, our job is to enforce the law and protect the law abiding members of society; not to be victimized or be subjected to criminal behavior and certainly not to have perpetrators avoid responsibility for actions taken against us. Enough is enough.
“We demand the Department and the ASA continue this investigation and proceed with securing the proper charges that are so very obvious to anyone aware of this recent situation. We call on the ASA’s office to do their job and charge this person accordingly,” the statement read.
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Terrance Hobson, 23, said he took the video of the arrest, which happened about 3:15 p.m. Monday.
Hobson said he sought advice from former CeaseFire director Tio Hardiman and decided he would turn over his phone to the Justice Department, which is conducting an investigation of the police department’s practices.
The federal probe was launched after the city released a video in November showing 17-year-old Laquan McDonald being fatally shot 16 times by Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke, who was charged with murder.
