Chicago Officer testifies against ex-partner in case of Police Beating of Black Man at Housing Project
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As he sat in the witness box Tuesday, Chicago Police officer Joseph Groh took the witness stand to testify against his former partner, Chicago Police officer Bryan Vander Mey. Groh testified that it "appeared" to be Vander Mey caught on home video kicking and punching of Rondell Freeman (29) April 17, 2003, outside the Cabrini-Green public housing complex. But Groh, who was also present during the arrest, said he couldn't be "100 percent" certain. Vander Mey sat still during Groh's testimony, never looking directly at his former partner. Vander Mey, who is suspended without pay, is charged with multiple counts each of official misconduct and battery in the beating of Freeman. In exchange for his testimony, Groh was granted immunity from prosecution. On the stand Tuesday, Groh admitted that he also had kicked at Freeman during the arrest. Under defense cross-examination, Groh described a scene of "total chaos" in which police surrounded a van containing Freeman and three other men. Police had an arrest warrant for one of Freeman's passengers. As officers tried to talk the men out of the van, a swarm of people surrounded them, yelling profanities and tossing objects, Groh testified. "I was in fear [for] my life," Groh said. "I'm sure other officers were, too." Groh testified he didn't witness Vander Mey punching or kicking Freeman, but only came to that conclusion after viewing the video multiple times. As defense attorneys played the video in court, Groh repeatedly said the quality was too bad to recognize officers' faces. Groh said he recognized Vander Mey by his "body shape" and by how close Vander Mey was to Groh. The trial is set to resume April 10. [more] and [more] and [more]
Beating victim can't ID which Officer Attacked him
A man who was allegedly beaten in 2003 by a Chicago police officer after holing up inside his van near the Cabrini-Green public housing complex told a judge Monday that he could not identify any of the officers involved. On the stand, Freeman said that before the incident he had attended his grandmother's funeral and had been at a family gathering when he and three friends got into the van. While Freeman was in the driver's seat near Cabrini-Green, a police officer allegedly came up to him, ordered him to get out of the van and slapped him when he refused. Freeman said he tried to drive off but was surrounded by more officers, who ordered him out of the van. He said a sergeant tried to get him to leave the van. "The sergeant told me to get out. I told the sergeant the officer swung and struck me," Freeman said. Freeman, who has since filed a lawsuit against the city and the Police Department, said police eventually broke the windows of his van, sprayed him with Mace and, when he walked out of the van, threw him to the ground. He denied that he tried to hit any of the officers. "I was thrown to the ground face first. I was laying flat on the ground. I was being sprayed with Mace and punched on my back. I was hollering `I can't breathe' ... a lot of times," Freeman said. [more]
