Chicago man Dominic Bradford suffers permanent eye damage after Taser used by Robbins Police Department officer: I-TEAM EXCLUSIVE
Share this @internewscast.com

ROBBINS, Ill. (WLS) — Body camera video obtained by the ABC7 I-Team shows a Taser being used on the face of a Chicago man by a Robbins police officer.

The man is now suing the village of Robbins and the officer who used a Taser on him, and the Illinois State Police integrity task force is investigating.

Robbins police said the man was irate during the incident. He has now spoken exclusively with the I-Team.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Dominic Bradford said he has permanent damage to his right eye after a Taser was used on him by the Robbins police officer.

The Robbins Police Department claims Bradford was hostile when he was asked to leave a convenience store. Bradford believes the use force was unjustified.

The I-Team has obtained video of the incident involving the use of a Taser, and some of the footage and images might be hard to watch.

“I’ll never look the same again, or feel the same again quite frankly,” Bradford said.

Bradford’s right eyelid is stitched together after he underwent four surgical procedures. The Chicago man said he may never see out of this eye again after a Taser was used on him by a police officer.

“This is what my reality is right now,” Bradford said. “I don’t wish this on my worst enemy.”

The incident happened on March 18. The 22-year-old said he and his friends were on their way home from a sports bar and stopped by a convenience store in Robbins.

I was feeling a mode of protection, because I had just watched the officer push my friend away to tase me. It was very intense and everything was happening super fast.

Dominic Bradford, plaintiff

He said a store clerk thought he recognized him, but Bradford said it was his first time in the store.

“That became a minor back and forth of, ‘I think I’ve seen you?’ ‘No, you haven’t. I’ve never been here before,'” Bradford said. “That’s when I knocked on the glass for the item behind the counter.”

Bradford said a Robbins police officer, who happened to be in the store, asked him to stop knocking on the glass. Bradford said words were exchanged, and he was asked to leave.

Bradford said he followed orders and left, and that’s where the officer’s bodycam video began.

“I was frustrated, upset, being removed from an establishment for no reason,” Bradford said.

In the video, Bradford and his friends can be seen walking to their vehicle. The officer was holding a Taser in his hand as he approached the vehicle, and he ordered Bradford to get into the car.

“Say something else. You’ve got two seconds to get in the car,” the officer can be heard saying.

Bradford’s friends tried to intervene, and things escalated.

“You’ve got two seconds to get in the car,” the officer said.

A Taser was then used on Bradford, who then advanced toward the officer. A Taser was used on Bradford a second time, in the face.

Moments later, the officer called for backup. Bradford reemerged from the vehicle after a Taser was used on him.

“Look at my face. I’m in pain,” Bradford said.

An ambulance was called to the scene, and Bradford was taken to the hospital.

“It was difficult to view. My husband had to support me because, that’s our son,” Bradford’s mother Starlet Banks said. “To see blood on his face, his eye almost hanging out of his head, grotesque is the only way to describe it… No mother, father, no parent should ever have to see their child in that situation.”

Bradford and his attorney, Keenan Saulter, are now suing the village of Robbins and the officer who used a Taser on him. They believe the use of force was unjustified, claiming the officer followed Bradford as he was trying to leave.

“I’m not here to sugarcoat the fact that Dominic was angry,” Saulter said. “But he’s outside the store. That’s the key. He followed his command… Police officers, quite frankly, are trained to deal with individuals who are not happy that they are being interacted with by police. That’s part of the job. That doesn’t mean police officers don’t have feelings, they do. But they’re trained to not emotionally react, particularly when they are not being placed in danger.”

The village of Robbins said it doesn’t comment on matters of litigation, but said in part, “A Robbins police officer was engaged in an incident outside of a local business with an individual, in which the police body camera shows was irate and noticeably intoxicated during the exchange. All of which was in response to the owner of the local business requesting the officer to have the individual leave the store following a prior hostile exchange.”

Bradford denied being intoxicated on the night in question, maintaining he was upset that he had to leave the store after being misidentified by the clerk.

ABC7 asked Bradford why he advanced at the officer after a Taser was used on him the first time.

“I was feeling a mode of protection, because I had just watched the officer push my friend away to tase me,” Bradford said. “It was very intense and everything was happening super fast.”

“I feel confident in saying that video does not display his proudest moment, but in that video I watch him and his friend walk away,” Banks said. “I don’t understand why he pursued them. If he told them to leave and they left, what’s the rationale for following them to the car, engaging with them verbally. At that point, it’s like antagonistic.”

“I forgive you, because I should,” Bradford said. “The police department definitely needs to do better training.”

The Robbins officer involved in the incident has not been charged with a crime and is still with the police department.

Bradford, who had a Taser used on him, was not arrested or charged with a crime during the incident.

The Robbins Police Department said its mission is to service the citizens of Robbins with a high level of integrity. They said they are cooperating with Illinois State Police to investigate the matter.

Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
OU student’s zero for Christian-based gender critique triggers congressional pushback over academic bias

Congressional Response Intensifies Over OU Student’s Zero for Christian-Based Gender Analysis Citing Academic Bias

EXCLUSIVE TO FOX: U.S. senators are voicing their concerns after a University…
Chicago crash: Woman injured after concrete crashes through windshield on I-55, daughter says: 'Just horrifying'

Terrifying I-55 Incident: Concrete Shatters Windshield, Injures Chicago Woman – Daughter Shares Harrowing Experience

A Chicago woman is on the mend after a frightening incident where…
Comptroller Brad Lander pleads not guilty in ICE protest as he mulls run for Congress

Comptroller Brad Lander Contemplates Congressional Bid While Fighting ICE Protest Charges

On Friday, City Comptroller Brad Lander entered a plea of not guilty…
ABC7 Sports Overtime: Chicago gets ready for Packers-Bears game, Mt. Carmel Head Coach Jordan Lynch talks championship win

Chicago Gears Up for Packers-Bears Showdown; Mt. Carmel’s Coach Lynch Celebrates Championship Victory

CHICAGO (WLS) — After a festive Thanksgiving break, Dionne Miller and ESPN…
Dylan Darling's health is St. John's 'key' they've already missed

Dylan Darling: The Unsung Hero St. John’s Needs for a Winning Season

Rick Pitino is convinced that the struggles St. John’s faced in their…
Rush Children's Hospital pediatrician concerned after CDC, ACIP, appointed by RFK Jr., decision on hepatitis B immunizations

Rush Children’s Hospital Pediatrician Raises Concerns Following CDC and ACIP’s RFK Jr. Appointment Impact on Hepatitis B Immunization Guidelines

A Chicago-based doctor has raised concerns following the recent vote by a…
Florida man from Colombia sentenced in Connecticut for helping steal $4.4 million in jewelry

Colombian Florida Resident Sentenced in Connecticut for $4.4 Million Jewelry Heist

A Colombian national, Jorge Giovanni Escobar Gonzalez, who most recently resided in…
NJ man, 51, arrested after trying to meet 14-year-old girl for sex

51-Year-Old NJ Man Arrested in Underage Sting Operation: Shocking Details Revealed

A man from New Jersey has been taken into custody following allegations…
Man with Down syndrome saves all year to donate to South Elgin Fire District Toys for Tots campaign

Heartwarming Hero: South Elgin Man with Down Syndrome Donates Year-Long Savings to Fire District’s Toys for Tots Campaign

A resident from the suburbs is wholeheartedly embracing the spirit of the…
Dem Rep. Goldman: Biden FBI Didn't Mess Up by Not Getting Pipe Bomb Suspect That 'Dreadful' Trump FBI Did

Rep. Goldman Defends Biden’s FBI Over Trump Era Pipe Bomb Investigation

During Thursday’s episode of “The Briefing” on MS NOW, Representative Dan Goldman…
Venezuela news: US Supreme Court allows Trump to strip TPS from some Venezuelans; deportations could follow

Supreme Court to Rule on Constitutionality of Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Order

In a significant legal development, the Supreme Court has decided to examine…
Man charged with attempted first-degree murder after St. Augustine double shooting

St. Augustine Shooting Leads to Attempted Murder Charges for Suspect

A chilling incident unfolded in St. Augustine, Florida, leading to the arrest…