2 Chicago police officers charged with battery over treatment of alleged shoplifters
Thursday August 18, 2005
By MEGAN REICHGOTT
Associated Press Writer
CHICAGO (AP) Two Chicago Police officers have been charged with battery and official misconduct after one allegedly punched a suspected shoplifter and the other was accused of yanking a 14-year-old girl's ponytail after suspecting her of shoplifting, the police superintendent said Wednesday.

Both incidents were caught on store surveillance cameras while officers were questioning the suspects, Police Superintendent Philip Cline said.

``Based on what I saw, the offender posed no immediate threat to the safety of the officers or others in the room,'' Cline said. He said the officers' behavior was ``unacceptable.''

Larry Guy and Alexandra Martinez, both 11-year veterans of the department, were charged Tuesday with battery and official misconduct. Guy also was charged with attempting to obstruct justice.

Martinez allegedly slapped and pulled the ponytail of the teenage girl suspected of shoplifting at a J.C. Penney store in April. Guy allegedly punched and shoved a 21-year-old man suspected of shoplifting at a Target store in June.

Messages left at a residential telephone listing for a Larry Guy in Chicago wasn't immediately returned. No one answered the phone at a listing for Alexandra Martinez.

Neither shoplifting suspect filed a formal complaint, officials said. Instead, in both cases, store officials turned the tapes over to police supervisors at district stations. The department did not publicly release the tapes.

The misconduct charge is a felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison, and the other charges are misdemeanors, each punishable by up to a year in prison.

Cline has also started proceedings to fire the two officers.

``Wearing a police badge gives an officer tremendous power and tremendous responsibility,'' Cook County State's Attorney Richard Devine said. ``Twice in recent months, two Chicago police officers have abused that power and shirked their responsibility.''

Two other officers who witnessed the incidents but did not report them have been removed from street duty, officials said. Police rules require officers who witness misconduct to report it to supervisors.

while I don't condone abuse of power, the shoplifters deserved it.

Fuck 'em, they wouldn't have an issue if they weren't stealing to begin with.

Quoted: Neither shoplifting suspect filed a formal complaint, officials said. Instead, in both cases, store officials turned the tapes over to police supervisors at district stations.

Gee, could it be because they were shoplifting and would not want the tapes presented at court?

Quoted: while I don't condone abuse of power, the shoplifters deserved it.

What a screwed up society, where law breakers think they deserve kind, gentle loving handling by the police.

Don't want to get roughed up by the cops? DON'T BREAK THE LAW, IDIOT.

Fer my money, I'd prefer the cops kick a little, verses me as a taxpayer having to pay to house, feed, clothe and educate the little cretans in the prison system.

store officials turned the tapes over to police supervisors at district stations.

I wonder what kind of response time those stores will get.

Police Operator:  "Hello"
Store: "There are some shoplifters here"
Police Operator: "Okay, I'll send someone right over"
<click>
Police Operator: "What's for lunch today fellas?"

From the way I read it,  the shoplifter's didn't complain, the STORE did.  Good luck in ever getting an officer in that place ever again.

Quoted: I'm not seeing anything about them being charged with shoplifting, just suspected of it. mmk

I think this was good COMMUNITY policing.  Don't clog up the legal system with minor stuff.  A hit on the head and send on their way.  

What no choke holds and hot pavement?


Just a slap?

Quoted: What no choke holds and hot pavement? Just a slap?

That's what you get when you involve the cops and their damn procedures. Sounds like they need to get some texas walmart ninjas

Quoted: Well, Gotta be more to this than meets the eye! Neither suspect pressed charges.  That leads one to believe they were indeed shoplifting.  No charges from the so called victims yet the department is pressing for disciplinary even legal action. I'd say these two guys have pissed someone off pretty bad.  It could be anything from department politics to a lond history of suspect abuse, who knows? The as printed story of course reads like BS charges but one has to ask themselves how often have you seen these type charges which is almost never.  This isn't Rodney King group beat but a hair tug and punch. Nyet, more to this story than is being told.   Tj

Thank you TJ, reporting from the grassy knoll in Dallas.

In other news, police shot  Mrs. Johnson's cat when it was treed and they were too lazy to get  a ladder. The officer in charge  of the scene,  Sgt. Buck Tacleberry, was reported as saying "Hey, the old bag wanted the cat down, we got the cat down." No charges have as yet been filed.

Quoted: Thankyou!  Having you disagree with me only give crediblity to my post. BTW, Take the same attitude when you get pulled over and see if a punch or two results in charges. Tj

just messin' with ya man.  

I'm a conspiracy theorist too. Usually, I'm right, too.  

But you gotta admit - if you DON'T break the law, it decreases your changes of getting punched by a cop.

A 5 YEAR FELONY!

Should they lose their job? yes.
Should they serve jail time? maybe.
Fines? absolutely.

Oh well.  2 less gun owners in America.
Everything will be a felony soon.
Smoking in Columbus, OH would be a felony if they could get away with it.

Quoted: What no choke holds and hot pavement? Just a slap?

I was thinking about the WalMart thread when I posted.  My response...The cops just simply know how to kick major ass w/out visible wounds better than Mall Ninja's.  

Dont they cut the hands off of theives in some other countries?

Quoted: Dont they cut the hands off of theives in some other countries?

muslims do.

Quoted: OH yea and I've personaly seen cops dish out quite a bit more than this to bad guys even in Chicago when I lived there.  Hell I've seen more for simply smarting off.

I never have. But then I've made it a point to avoid cities.

I look at it this way - when I risk my life dealing with the street vermin they do, I'll know better the degree of force necessary for them to go home to their wife and kids at nite.

A MAJOR part of BEING a cop is establishing control of a confrontation. If that means a LITTEL rough treatment of me or someone else, that's the name of the game.

But like i say - I make it a point to never give the cops a need to whack me in the nutz with a nite stick.

These charges are so bullshit there has to be more to it. Tj

maybe. But that is PURE speculation.

Quoted: Quoted: while I don't condone abuse of power, the shoplifters deserved it. What a screwed up society, where law breakers think they deserve kind, gentle loving handling by the police. Don't want to get roughed up by the cops? DON'T BREAK THE LAW, IDIOT. Fer my money, I'd prefer the cops kick a little, verses me as a taxpayer having to pay to house, feed, clothe and educate the little cretans in the prison system.

Fuck That.

The cops don't get to be judge, jury, and executioner.

The cops are roughing up suspects which is illegal.

Dave

While I am wary of asskickings handed out by police, I think the world would be a better place if more people got their ass kicked more often.

Quoted: Fuck That. The cops don't get to be judge, jury, and executioner. The cops are roughing up suspects which is illegal. Dave

Who did they execute?

50 years ago we didn't have cops getting brought up on charges liek this. Incidentally, we didn't have the high  incidence of these types of crimes either.

Coincidence? I think not.

Quoted: Quoted: Fuck That. The cops don't get to be judge, jury, and executioner. The cops are roughing up suspects which is illegal. Dave Who did they execute? 50 years ago we didn't have cops getting brought up on charges liek this. Incidentally, we didn't have the high  incidence of these types of crimes either. Coincidence? I think not.

50 years ago households usually had a stay at home parent with some moral grounding. I don't think police brutality gets all the credit.

Quoted: 50 years ago households usually had a stay at home parent with some moral grounding. I don't think police brutality gets all the credit.

You are correct.

But the understanding that straying from mom and dads recommended behaviour might get you an IMMEDIATE billy club to the back of the head (rather than a bed, three squares, cable TV  and a college education in todays prison) prolly contributed.

30 yrs ago or so, you would get an asskicking or get arrested, usually not both.

It worked.

TXL