Chicago police officer accused of beating up female bartender while off duty

[Ian David]

CHICAGO (AP) -- An off-duty police officer in street clothes was caught on video by a bar surveillance camera beating up a female bartender half his size, authorities said.

Anthony Abbate, a 12-year veteran of the Chicago force, was charged with aggravated battery and placed on leave pending an internal investigation in the attack Feb. 19 as several bystanders watched, department spokeswoman Monique Bond said Wednesday. She said Abbate is expected to be fired.

The video from Jessie's Short Stop Inn Tavern, shown on television around the nation, shows the 250-pound Abbate shouting at the 115-pound bartender, then walking behind the bar and punching, kicking and throwing her to the ground.

The woman, whose name authorities haven't released, suffered bruises to her head, neck, back and lower body. Her attorney, Terry Ekl, did not immediately return a call Wednesday. He told WFLD-TV that the attack began after the bartender refused to serve Abbate.

More:
http://www3.whdh.com/news/articles/national/MI42498/

[Bunny]

1. I saw that, it was sickening. Did you see the guy standing on the

left? He watched the whole thing and did nothing to try to help this woman.

[Catherine Vincent]

3. I saw that and it was hard to watch.

I think the people that witnessed this was in shock and didn't know what to do. The guy on the left finally pulled out his cell phone to call for help.

That cop has a mental problem to just snap like that just because she told him he had enough to drink.

[Bunny]

4. Yeah, I would have been terrified myself. But that attack went on for

a long time, you'd think someone would have tried to hit him with a barstool, or a bottle of whiskey or something.

[Little Wing]

12. Then the rest of the pigs show up and pound YOU into the ground

for assaulting an officer. They're bastards like that.

[BonnieJW]

8. I agree.

How many times have you witnessed something shocking that happens extremely fast and you are struck dumb and motionless? It's happened to me and I am a "fixer;" that is, I try to fix everything that seems wrong. Usually, I'm pretty quick, but sometimes I'm stuck.

[Missy Vixen]

9. Sometimes it's not possible to act immediately

>Usually, I'm pretty quick, but sometimes I'm stuck.<

A woman had a psychotic break in my shop last year. It is one of the most frightening things I've ever seen, and yeah, I was absolutely frozen. I didn't know what to do. Luckily, someone in the vicinity heard the commotion and called the police.

Julie

[SaveAmerica]

11. There were two people who didn't help her, one person was on the

right sitting (standing?) on a barstool. I was horrified when I saw and couldn't believe that neither of them even tried to help her. I just can't imagine the beatings, slamming his meaty hand into her head, went on for so long and they did nothing.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. How come no one helped her? n/t

[Bonobo]

5. I wouldn't fight a 250 pound drunk cop. Seriously.

That is a moral dilemna indeed. But fighting a 250 pound drunken, enraged cop... Can't think of something worse than that. A bear maybe.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. Did someone call 911?

I'd think someone would have at least done that.

[Connie_Corleone]

10. It looked like one of the men pulled out his cell phone and called.

I really can't blame them too much for not jumping in. That guy was huge.

On edit: Then again, they could've ganged up on him.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

13. well, at least someone called

Now that you describe how big he was, I can understand better what happened. I had the impression that people watched and didn't even call 911.

You realize the bartender can file a HUGE civil suit against him.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

7. I hope this sick fuck goes to jail for a long time.

[yardwork]

14. Police brutality is on the rise all over the country

I've lost track of the news stories. And heaven knows how many happen that we don't hear about. The people murdered by police in New Orleans. The kid in Wilmington, NC shot dead through the closed door of his house. The student tasered repeatedly in the library at UCLA. The old woman shot dead in her house during a raid on the wrong house.

[RagingInMiami]

15. The Miami cop who attempts to rape a woman

http://www.miamiherald.com/459/story/47675.html

[RagingInMiami]

16. And the fucking pigs who arrested him did not even handcuff him

Those cops should be prosecuted themselves for favorable treatment because you know goddamn well they handcuff people for much less serious offenses.

[shield20]

17. Yet another reason NOT to think "only the police & govt should have guns".

[Solo_in_MD]

18. THought I saw a teaser on the local news that the guy was going to respond

I would have loved to have heard it...

There is also concern that the barkeep was offered hush money right afterwards too. Add witness tampering to the milieu.