Legal Commentary

Chicago Officer Found Guilty Of Battering Bartender

By TChris

Two years ago, TalkLeft called attention to Chicago Police Officer Anthony Abbate's videotaped beating of a female bartender, one of a series of violent incidents involving Chicago cops in bars that led to the resignation of the city's police superintendent. Abbate was charged with aggravated battery, a crime carrying a potential five year sentence. On Tuesday, Judge John Fleming rejected Abbate's claim of self defense and found him guilty. Judge Fleming acquitted Abbate of official misconduct because it was undisputed that Abbate never identified himself as a police officer.

Abbate is 6'1" and weighs in at 250. It's easy to understand the judge's reluctance to believe he appropriately defended himself by throwing the bartender, Karolina Obrycka, to the ground before repeatedly punching and kicking her. Obrycka is 5'3" and weighs 125 pounds.[more ...]

The video, played repeatedly during the two-day bench trial, shows the drunken officer go behind the bar after already having been told to leave by Obrycka. As she pushed and pulled at him, Abbate appeared to shrug her off. He then suddenly fell or was pulled off balance, crashing back into the bar, his head bouncing hard off a shelf support.

Abbate slammed Obrycka against the bar, then violently threw her to the floor. He repeatedly kicked and punched her on the floor as she struggled to evade the blows. He held her by one hand as he took full swings at her head with his right fist.

Although Abbate claimed he felt threatened when he fell into the shelf, he admitted that no threat existed while he was punching and kicking Obrycka as she laid on the floor.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on June 04, 2009 (boomark / email).