Cops are dicks

[eauclaireliberal]

Rightards encourage this shit.

2 cops held liable in screwdriver assault
Man stands to get $4 million from city>

By Jeff Coen | Tribune staff reporter
October 17, 2007

A federal jury late Tuesday held two Chicago police officers liable for the unreasonable search of a man who alleged that the officers sodomized him with a screwdriver during a search for drugs.

Coprez Coffie, 23, had testified that the tactical officers used the tool on him in a West Side alley in 2004. His family hugged after the verdict was announced.

"Justice was served, it was," Coffie said after court. "Now you see what's going on. It's put to the light."

The jury was not asked to decide damages because the two sides had previously reached a settlement of $4 million if the verdict favored Coffie.

The jury, which deliberated for three days, did not stop to speak to reporters.

Coffie's attorney, Jon Loevy, said he believed it was the totality of the evidence in the case that led to the favorable verdict. Loevy had presented evidence that an internal police investigation uncovered screwdrivers in the car used by the officers, that Coffie had an injury to his rectum and that a forensic test suggested there was human fecal matter in the car's glove compartment.

Loevy called the case a black eye for the Police Department, which did not discipline the officers, Gerald Lodwich and Scott Korhonen. The nine jurors found that Korhonen conducted an unreasonable search and that Lodwich failed to stop it, he said.

"It's further evidence that the Police Department does not do an effective job of policing itself," he said.

The department recently has been embroiled in a scandal involving its now-disbanded Special Operations Section.

A Law Department spokeswoman said the city was disappointed by the verdict and would consider its options for appeal.

A spokeswoman for the police's Office of Professional Standards said any case involving a city settlement is reviewed.

The Coffie case will be reopened to examine any new information developed during the civil trial, the spokeswoman said.

Coffie said he now intends to finish school and would use the money to help care for his 2-year-old son.

He had testified at trial that he was handcuffed, placed against the officers' unmarked car in an alley near Division Street and Pulaski Road and told to spread his buttocks before the assault. He eventually was charged with drug possession.

Andrew Hale, hired by the city to represent the officers, had said the city and officers denied that the assault took place.

[11 Bravo]

1. Some are, some aren't.

Broad brush smears are intellectually lazy.

[mainegreen]

8. Yup. n/t

[lpbk2713]

2. .

[eauclaireliberal]

6. Rush must have read this story

...looks like he's jerking-off.

[renie408]

3. Is that whole post one long link? (no pun intended) n/t

[DemGa]

4. Are the good cops policing the bad ones?

If not, that makes them bad as well, I would say.

[eauclaireliberal]

7. No they aren't

Good cops are discouraged from doing the right thing.

I know of three that left the MPD and CPD out of frustration for this kind of shit; one of them is my uncle. He is now working for the county parks system, and has never seemed happier.

[Alexander]

5. The police don't police themselves, so the public needs to.

One DUer suggested citizen review boards with the power to fire police officers they deem corrupt.

I think that is a wonderful idea.

Who polices the police?

[soothsayer]

9. I'm sure many are nice, but some are clearly awful. Firemen are all

pretty good (except the firebugs). I guess they're not in it for the power/authority.

[tuckessee]

10. Not all cops are dicks.

Some are dicks and the rest are cowards who enable and protect the dicks.

[TryingToWarnYou]

11. Oh good, Im not late for the cop bashing thread....

Cops, like any other profession, have their share of bad. Just like doctors, lawyers, politicians and the like. Lumping them all as "bad" (or good) is irresponsible and intellectually lazy as another poster pointed out. Ive been an officer for going on 16 years and Ive seen bad and good..overwhelmingly good thankfully. Not all cops are crooks and not all cops are out to "get you". Each officer and each interaction with the public has to be judged on its own merit. That said, most internal affairs sections seek out the bad officers, and often go to great lengths to do this as nobody wants a bad officer. I have never been supportive of civilian review boards, let alone one that can take my job from me based on what they think. It may sound cliche, but unless you have ever done the job, you have 0 understanding of that job and therefore have no ability to judge others in that capacity. I dont mean any disrespect in that remark as I believe it would apply to anyone trying to judge another profession that they dont have any experience in.