Decision by Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke to drop charges against Oak Lawn cop sparks protest
Share this @internewscast.com

CHICAGO (WLS) — Members of the Arab community gathered Thursday morning outside the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, voicing their frustration and anger over the move to drop charges against an Oak Lawn officer accused of beating a 17 year old during an arrest in 2022.

More than a dozen people say they are upset by one of the first actions taken by the newly sworn in Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke.

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

“Let’s be clear…a grave injustice was committed by Eileen O’Neill Burke,” Muhammad of the Arab American Action Network said.

At issue is Burke’s move Wednesday to drop aggravated battery and official misconduct charges against Oak Lawn Police Officer, Patrick O’Donnell, after the violent July 2022 arrest of Hadi who was 17 years old at the time.

Police dash cam video released by Oak Lawn police shows officers repeatedly beating the teen.

RELATED: Charges dropped against Oak Lawn police officer after violent arrest caught on video

Video also showed Abuatelah had taken off running from officers during a traffic stop and in his bag prosecutors said, he had a loaded handgun.

Abuatelah pleaded guilty to the gun charge.

“Demands…asking Kwame Raoul open investigation into racist practices of Oak Lawn Police Department,” Muhammad said.

The protest comes the day O’Donnell was supposed to plead his case before a Cook County judge. Now, the officer will not be prosecuted.

“This fight isn’t about one bad cop,” Nadiah Alyafai with the Arab American Action Network said. “It’s about an entire system of racist policing.”

The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office did not comment on the protest Thursday but released a statement following the move to drop O’Donnell’s charges Wednesday, writing…”After a thorough review, we concluded that the evidence is insufficient to meet our burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt to move forward with the prosecution.”

Protestors are also calling for Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul to open an independent investigation into the Oak Lawn Police Department and for Burke to reinstate charges against O’Donnell.

Copyright © 2024 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

FAFSA Faces Longstanding Challenges as Trump Reduces Education Department by Half

(The Hill) — Families and students are growing nervous about the fate…

Continuous Downpour Causes Rivers to Overflow, Flooding Towns in the US South

FRANKFORT, Kentucky (AP) — Days of unrelenting heavy rain and storms that…

Florida Boat Captain, 40, Faces Severe Consequences After Targeting the Wrong 22-Year-Old

An unhinged charter boat captain who bullied a young fisherman then jumped…

Fyre Festival Planners Assure Success for Upcoming Mexico Event Despite Official Warnings

The team behind Fyre Festival 2, which is aiming to revive the…

The ‘Smart’ Hidden Significance Behind the Tragic White Lotus Scene Following the Deaths of Two Beloved Characters in a Violent Rampage

The White Lotus fans have been left devastated after two popular characters…

Donald Trump’s Tariff Plan: Team References Economist Brent Neiman’s Work, but He Disputes Their Calculations

CHICAGO (WLS) — A Chicago economist in now at the center of…

George M. Johnson’s ‘All Boys Aren’t Blue’ Leads 2024 List of Most Contested Books in U.S. Libraries

NEW YORK – Removing books from library shelves is no longer just…

Efforts to Protect Uncontacted Tribe from Influencers After Past Threats

In the vast expanse of the Bay of Bengal lies North Sentinel…

“Inside Wes Anderson’s Exciting New Thriller: ‘The Phoenician Scheme'”

A new Wes Anderson film is on the horizon. Just over a…

Apple’s Market Cap Decline Reaches Nearly $640 Billion in Just 3 Days

While the stock market broadly fared better on Monday than in the…

Los Angeles Dodgers Visit White House for Meeting with Donald Trump Amid Fan Criticism

As the stock market continues to plummet amid his tariff policies, Donald…

NJ mother who drowned her two children to ‘eradicate all evil from the world’ deemed not guilty due to insanity

A woman from New Jersey, who drowned her young children last year…