Officer admits excessive force on man in wheelchair (Chicago 2005)

[struggle4progress]

updated 5:21 p.m. EST, Thu January 22, 2009

By Terry Frieden
CNN Justice Producer

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- ... Chicago, Illinois, police officer who was videotaped beating a man restrained in a wheelchair at a hospital emergency room pleaded guilty Thursday to using "excessive or unreasonable force" ... more than three years after the beating of Randle Miles.

A plea agreement filed with the court said the victim -- who was taken to Norwegian American Hospital after being stabbed on August 2, 2005 -- had been loud and verbally abusive, so Cozzi handcuffed and shackled the man.

Cozzi said that although the victim posed no physical threat, the officer repeatedly "used a 'sap,' a dangerous weapon, to strike <the victim> in the face and body."

He also admitted he prepared a false arrest report stating Miles had tried to punch him, but omitting that Cozzi had struck Miles ...

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/01/22/chicago.police.beating/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

[gratuitous]

1. Well come on!

A guy in a wheelchair? With handcuffs on? He could . . . uh, he could . . . Hmmm. He could verbally taunt you at any second! A little beatdown with a blackjack is perfectly justified. Gee, I hope Officer Cozzi doesn't lose any pay or time in grade because some bleeding hearts made him out to be some kind of sadistic power-mad abusive creep.