Chicago Tribune – by Jeremy Gorner and Patrick Svitek
A Chicago police officer has been relieved of his police powers after being accused of breaking a senior citizen’s hip when the officer shoved the man during an argument earlier this month.
David Barrett, a 20-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, was ordered held in lieu of $10,000 bond on Saturday on a charged of aggravated battery.
The incident happened while Barrett was off-duty Dec. 12 at a Shell gas station, 10601 S. Cicero Ave. in south suburban Oak Lawn, according to court records and prosecutors.
Frustrated with a gas pump, Barrett went into the station and began screaming at the attendant, according to prosecutors. The 89-year-old man, who was standing in line with Barrett, told him to calm down, at which point Barrett pushed the senior citizen to the ground, prosecutors said.
The 89-year-old man broke his right hip and had to undergo surgery, according to court records. He also tore his right rotator cuff, a group of tendons and muscles in the shoulder.
Stuart Goldberg, Barrett’s attorney, disputed that account in a bond hearing, arguing the 89-year-old man attacked Barrett first. Goldberg has asked that recorded tape of the incident be preserved.
Barrett, 58, who is assigned to the Chicago Public Safety Headquarters, turned himself in to Oak Lawn police Thursday, authorities said.
Barrett has been relieved of his police powers, and his further status with the department is pending conditions of his bond, police spokesman Adam Collins said in an email.
Barrett’s family declined to comment Saturday.
He is due back in court Tuesday.
Another out of control pig , not surprised , tables are turning , were sick of their shit!
No Bart, the tables are not turning. They are just trying to make the public think that they are cracking down on police violence. These cops that you hear about lately are just the ones on the dept,s sh*t list and they only want to make an example out of a few token cops. There may be a few good cops – and that makes me puke sayin` that there is even one good cop.
Exactly what I was thinking, Digger.
Today we’re seeing two stories of cops actually being punished for their crimes, after years of this not happening at all.
This is a response to public outrage, but what’s funny is that both cops were twenty-year veterans, so they get to screw ’em out of the pension they were looking forward to as well.
Good. Now they can go work in McDonald’s until they’re dead.
Ya know that when a senior citizen breaks a hip that they usually go down hill fast and this pig also broke the guys rotator cuff. Aggravative battery is a fellony isn`t it? Yea, this pig turned himself in because there were too many witnesses there and also because he probobly thought that he would get his two week paid leave that they always seem to get. Another pig I hope looses his right to own and carry. Arrogant bastards like this pig should never have a gun anywhere near his preasence.
I see your point digger dan
This story should have been called Sacrificial Pig thrown under bus to deceive citizens. This pig had a 20 year career of being a pig bastard and you can bet there are plenty more on that same pig department payroll . Reading stories like this only solidifies what we know about these arrogant bastards in squad cars!
Makes ya wonder how many other times this went unreported as if it happened once, you know that it happened atleast a few dozen other time. Not even to mention how many times his co-workers were also participants with this police brutality.