Chicago Police Raid Settled Out Of Court
BY Herschel Smith
10 years, 2 months ago
The city of Chicago is expected to pay $150,000 to settle a federal lawsuit brought by a woman who accused police of hitting, threatening and berating her during a July 2013 raid at a North Side tanning salon.
Jianqing Klyzek sued 10 Chicago police officers in May, and the city decided to quickly settle the case in light of video that included “comments from police that we believe could inflame a jury” and lead to a considerably larger judgment, said Leslie Darling, first deputy corporation counsel for the city Law Department.
Police raided Copper Tan and Spa in the Noble Square neighborhood after an undercover officer working as part of a vice squad was allegedly offered sex for money. Video surveillance footage from inside the business showed Klyzek on her knees and handcuffed within seconds of the officers entering. The footage showed an officer standing behind the petite woman slapping her in the head while another threatened to hit her with a Taser “10 f—ing times.”
Another officer then got in her face and began to shout at her, according to the video. “You’re not a f—— American,” the officer yelled at Klyzek, according to the video. “I’ll put you in a UPS box and send you back to wherever the f— you came from!”
Police officers can be seen on the video searching for the surveillance tape, but they were unsuccessful because it was recorded off-site, according to the federal lawsuit Klyzek filed accusing the Chicago Police Department and the officers of brutality and a hate crime.
One of the officers who took part in the raid, Frank Messina, was relieved of his police powers in May when the surveillance video that came to light allegedly showed him striking Klyzek. Messina remains on desk duty as the Independent Police Review Authority continues to look into the incident, according to police spokesman Martin Maloney.
The City Council Finance Committee endorsed settling the lawsuit. The panel also recommended approval of a $1.25 million settlement with the family of Jamaal Moore, who was fatally shot by police in 2012. An officer shot Moore after police chased a vehicle in which the 23-year-old was a passenger, suspecting that the occupants of the vehicle had just committed an armed robbery.
When the vehicle crashed and Moore got out, a squad car struck and dragged him on wet pavement as he tried to get away, Darling told aldermen.
Nice guys. It’s ironic that police will threaten Asians with deportation (even when they are legal) and yet leave Hispanics and Latinos alone. In any case, a peace officer can only fight – with hands or weapons – when life or health are at risk. It’s doubtful that this cop can prove those conditions, even if he stipulated to the requirements (which is doubtful). And no one needs to be hit with a Taser ten times. This is the behavior of uneducated, knuckle dragging thugs.
Remember boys and girls. “To protect and serve.” I’ll bet they thought a jury would have become “inflamed.” I wish the victim would have pressed the issue into court.
On September 12, 2014 at 7:51 am, Paul B said:
I could understand taking the money and getting the whole sordid mess behind oneself. It would have been good to take it to court. So far the police are not standing up to a higher standard.
It is educational how Asian’s are treated versus the horde coming over the border trying to make us Mexico North.
On September 12, 2014 at 10:06 am, GenEarly said:
I also wished the victim had pressed the issue in court. There is a responsibility to the societal well being as well as to the individual
On September 13, 2014 at 11:35 am, Ned Weatherby said:
Yeah. Too bad that when things like this happen, the victim is stuck with the legal expenses of taking it to trial. I’ve worked on several cases like this, one regarding a gun-rights issue, and the gun owner community couldn’t step up and contribute a dime.
When legal expenses to take a municipality or government entity can take ten years and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, this outcome was expected.
Yeah – I wish she’d taken this to trial too. But reality often gets in the way of wishes.
On September 13, 2014 at 12:18 pm, GenEarly said:
“But reality often gets in the way of wishes.” That’s a pearl of wisdom we can all use and apply broadly. Take care.
On September 12, 2014 at 10:46 am, AzureRaptor said:
It’s entirely possible that some of the “finer” members of “Chicago’s Finest” intimated to this lady, that while she might get her day in court, she’d never be safe in Chicago again. : You couldn’t _pay_ me to live in that city. Criminals on both sides of the law. I think I’d actually live in New York if I had to choose between the two hellholes.
On September 12, 2014 at 11:59 am, Kuffar said:
Jianqing Klyzek must be one of them white asians I heard tell of…
On September 12, 2014 at 1:43 pm, LetsTryLibertyAgain said:
It’s very easy to pay a settlement when you’re using tax dollars to pay for your crimes, instead of paying for your misdeeds out of your own pocket. Where’s the accountability? Where is the incentive not to behave this badly in the future?
As usual, the tax payers were the victims… twice. We’re the victims of police abuse and corruption when we pay them to harass us and deny us our unalienable rights, and then we suffer again when our tax dollars are used to pay for their mistakes in the rare case when there is unimpeachable evidence of their wrongdoing that they are unable to destroy.
Qualified immunity from prosecution should not apply to such gross misconduct when police deliberately deprive us of our most basic human rights. They should be fired. They should lose their pensions. They should be prosecuted and if found guilty they should be individually responsible with fines and jail time. Depriving us of our rights under the color of law should be a very serious offense.
On September 12, 2014 at 1:53 pm, Herschel Smith said:
I agree. I noted when I read the article – but didn’t comment on it in the post – that what’s his face, Frank – is still on desk duty, and no doubt getting paid. Of course he is.
On September 13, 2014 at 11:45 am, Ned Weatherby said:
Good post, LTLA. Too bad the public has to pay. But, until the public gets reamed in a big way by ignoring -and thus, condoning – this sort of behavior, a la Pastor Niemoller, (They came for me) the public deserves to get reamed until it hurts.
Immunity is the dead albatross around _our_ necks. Will the hoi polloi wake up? I hold little faith, until it effects all.
On September 13, 2014 at 7:38 am, Andrew said:
Of course the police were looking for the surveillance video…I’m sure it would have been logged into evidence had it been found. “Oops. That video was blank. Darn. Guess its criminal versus police in court then.”
On September 13, 2014 at 12:01 pm, Lina Inverse said:
Yeah, going after “Latinos” can be dangerous.
You see why the Chicago establishment is so keen on keeping the people disarmed, with police who are notorious thugs, currently starting from the top as you recently noticed, in an anarcho-tyranny alliance with the criminals (when you can tell a difference, of course).