Ahmed Rehab, Head director of branch in Chicago of advice on American-Islamic Relations identified the boy as Hadi Abu Atelah, aged 17, and rising secondary school senior.
Abu Atelah suffered a broken nose and internal bleeding. in his forehead and brain cavity, and all bruised over his body, according to the Rehabilitation Center. He was in Stable in hospital Friday afternoon, Rehab said.
Oak Lawn, Illinois, Police Chief Daniel Vittorio defended the actions of the officers, stating news conference on Thursday that “deadly force” was justified because the teenager was reaching for a bag from which, according to police, a loaded gun was later retrieved. Vittorio said the officers had “reasonable suspicions” that Abu Atelah was armed. on his movement during the foot chase as well as arrest.
On Thursday, police released dashcam footage showing Abu Atelah running from car and officers throwing blows during struggle before applying the stun gun. Oak Lawn police don’t wear body cameras.
use of force an internal investigation is underway – as is protocol after any application of force – but the officers back in workVittorio said. Officer who was injured also went to the hospital, but Vittorio declined develop on officer injury.
Rehabilitation – whose organization represents family in civil rights component of case while another lawyer is working on criminal aspect – said he recognizes that the police have the right use force subdue an uncooperative suspect, but what force in this case was “inappropriate and excessive”. He noted that Abu Atelah weighed 115 pounds.
“We think this is a classic case of redundant force wild force, it was not necessary,” said Rehab. “If they had just just put on handcuffs on his wrists once he was on land and continued as they should professionally, I don’t think we would even be here.”
Rehab said family calling for “appropriate disciplinary action” for officers and review of their training. officers should be suspended pending completion of the investigation completeRehab said.
On Thursday news conference where the authorities released the footage from the video recorder, Vittorio said that allow in use-of-force investigation run of course, but he avoided answering questions about whether there was anything in video concerned his. He said the police planned to file charges against teenager after being discharged from the hospital.
Vittorio said the officer pulled over a car around 5:30 pm Wednesday that smelled of marijuana and did not have a front license plate. The officers searched driver, who complied, but when they asked the teenager in back seat to step out he “seemed to be nervous and had a draped accessory bag. over his shoulder,” Vittorio said.
When the police began to search him, he took off Run. After a short leg chase the officers took him to the ground outside McDonald’s restaurant where he tried to open the bag, prompting them use “control tactics“to get his hands out of the bag,” Vittorio said.
“They had reasonable suspicions that he was armed. with weapon in this bag and he didn’t obey and he tried to open this bag,” Vittorio said. “They were in fear of them safety”.
The officers thendrivestunned him and took him into custody, Vittorio said, referring to the use of the stun gun without firing his projectiles. They restored the semi-automatic gun from a bag that was loaded with three roundsVittorio said.
According to him, the officers suspected that the teenager had a weapon based on on how he reached for bag during chase and the brawl that turned him into “deadly force incident”.
“If the criminal drawn this weapon, he could have shot them,” Vittorio said. “Should they have waited for pull it out?
One of them, a field training officer, worked in department for 12 years old and the other one worked there for six, according to Vittorio.
Head of Department Gerald Vetter, Department Spokesperson, declined to answer additional questions from The Washington Post on Friday, citing an ongoing investigation.
Rehab said that the officers’ account of being threatened gun “defies logic and that they would need “extrasensory perception” to know Abu Atelah was armed.
“He didn’t wave gun. He did not use it as a weapon. He did not own it – nothing threatened them, ”he said. “Is not one of those times when someone runs with a gun in his hands.”
Rehab spoke about the relationship between the police and the Arab community are already “in horrible need of improvement” in Oak lawn where 7 percent of in population is of According to the Census Bureau of Arab origin.
“From what we hear from the local community, they do not feel properly protected and respected by the police,” he said.
While the police held them down news conference on Thursday, Abu Atelah family and supporters gathered outside. His mother, Dena Nature, told CBS Chicago that the officers’ actions amounted to “beating him to death”.
“He’s got all the fractures over his face is bruised, he in hospital right now with neck brace,” Natur said. Why are the police over 300 pounds attack my son is it only 115 pounds? Why did they do what they did? it’s not called for, it’s unnecessary and unacceptable.”
