A Chicago police officer caught on cellphone video repeatedly striking a teen with handcuffs is now being investigated by the city’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability.
According to The Chicago Sun Times, during Thanksgiving weekend, officers tried to detain a teen boy as he peacefully waited for a train at a South Loop commuter train station, because they believed he matched the description of a robbery subject.
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When the young man allegedly threatened the officers by clenching his fists and flailing his arms, that’s when they say they performed a “take down” on the suspect, who was later identified as 16-year old Skyler Miller.
Miller, who attends Sarah E. Goode STEM Academy, was arrested but later released without being charged because the officers failed to get statements from the victims of the alleged robbery.
Now the young man is speaking out about the incident and says the cops mischaracterized what took place.
“Two officers came up and and one threw me against the wall and they tried to put the cuffs on me,” said Miller. “They didn’t tell me why. They didn’t tell me what I was arrested for.”
The newly released cellphone video shows an officer striking Miller over the head five times with a closed fist and a pair of handcuffs.
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“Come on, come on,” the officer can be heard saying during the assault.
Another officer then attempt to slap away the cellphone belonging to the person recording, inciting bystanders to begin cursing at the police accusing officers of violating the Good Samaritan rights. Moments later, Miller can be seen being lifted to his feet by the officers after they place him in handcuffs. By this point, the teen is visibly dazed and is having a hard time getting his footing.
A police spokeswoman has confirmed in a statement that COPA is now investigating the officer caught in the footage.
“This was an incident where an individual was resisting arrest,” the statement said. “A use of force investigation has been opened into the Officers’ actions by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) to establish if policies were violated and CPD will fully cooperate with COPAs investigation.”
