Quadriplegic Man Files a Lawsuit Accusing Chicago Police of Beating Him
A paralyzed man convicted of resisting arrest and hitting a Chicago police officer in a 2006 incident is suing the city and several of its police officers for violating his civil rights. Daniel Casares, who is a quadriplegic, says that police pulled him from his vehicle and beat him even after he told them that he was paralyzed and could not get out of the car.
He also says that because of physical condition, he does not have the physical ability to strike the officer he was convicted of hitting. Casares is unable to move his legs and has limited range of motion in his arms.
The alleged police brutality incident happened while Casares was sitting in the passenger side of his car next to his brother. Chicago police arrived to arrest his brother, who was under suspicion of using marijuana. Casares was ordered to exit the vehicle, and this is when he says he repeatedly told them he was unable to get out of the car.
Three police officers that testified at Casares’s criminal trial offer a different account. They claim that they never drew their guns during the altercation and accuse Casares of hitting a female cop when she asked him to exit his car.
Police Brutality
In 2007, CNN published statistics reporting that the City of Chicago received over 10,000 complaints against its police officers between 2002 and 2004. Many of these reports alleged assault and brutality.
Man paralyzed since 2002 files suit saying he was beaten by Chicago cops in '06, Chicago Tribune, July 24, 2008
Chicago's Finest Under Fire for Brutality, CNN.com, September 28, 2007
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If you believe that you have been the victim of excessive and/or unnecessary use of force by police officers in Chicago or anywhere in Illinois, there are legal remedies available to you, and you may be able to obtain personal injury compensation for the harm that you have suffered. Section 1983 of the Federal Civil Rights Act allows individuals whose civil rights have been violated to file a lawsuit.
