Chicago cop sentenced to 3 yrs for beating handcuffed injured man in wheel chair

[Liberal_in_LA]

Let's see: Wheel chair victim is stabbing victim. Cop hand cuffs and shackles him. Then proceeds to beat him while other cops stand around and watch like it's the floor show. Then cop lies and charges the victim with a potentially serious charge - resisting arrest. Then the video comes to light. When cop gets sentenced to 3 plus years the other cops boo-hoo about it. :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity:

video at website

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Cop Sentenced For Beating Man In Wheelchair
Chicago Police Officer William Cozzi Gets 40 Months; Says He 'Lost It' When He Beat The Man In 2005
CHICAGO (CBS) ―

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Cozzi had earlier pleaded guilty to a state misdemeanor charge and sentenced to 18 months of probation. But police Supt. Jody Weis, a former FBI official, referred the case to the federal government, which enraged his officers on the street.

Cozzi pleaded guilty to those charges in January.

Cozzi told a judge he "lost it" when he beat Randle Miles in August 2005. Miles was at Norwegian-American Hospital waiting to be treated for a stabbing wound, and police said he was being combative.

In court Thursday, he apologized, saying, "I let my frustrations get the best of me and made a terrible mistake in judgment."

Prosecutors said a videotape shows Cozzi hitting Miles about 10 times with a "sap," or a bludgeon. Miles does not appear to resist, but he was charged with resisting arrest.

In the plea agreement, Cozzi said he placed the man in handcuffs and leg shackles, and then, with the victim restrained, used the sap to repeatedly strike him in the face and body.

The Chicago Tribune reported Thursday that fellow officers have launched a letter-writing campaign asking the judge for leniency. Fraternal Order of Police President Mark Donohue said there has long been a feeling on the part of officers that Weis does not have their back.

http://cbs13.com/national/police.wheelchair.beating.2.1041570.html

[fishbulb703]

1. I like how the FOP defend the cop and attack the judge.

Really classy.

[BlooInBloo]

14. State-sponsored terrorists really know how to stick together against the public.

[Smith_3]

2. Three years is a pretty mild sentence for this.

Considering it is a clear case of power abuse, assault with endangering the life of the victim etc.

Could easily be five or more.

[Mythsaje]

3. Abuse of power is a crime we should have zero tolerance for...

Unfortunately, there are always those more than happy to stand up for this sort of thing. Every decent cop in the country (a number I often suspect is dwindling every day) should have been calling for this motherfucker's head a pike.

But no. I don't like the fact that they think they're better than us.

[Enthusiast]

4. If *most* officers are

reasonable and respect civil rights, why do we see so many examples of videos showing police brutality? This can't be a coincidence, no way. I think this indicates we have a law enforcement that is completely out of control.

[hvn_nbr_2]

13. Also, if most officers are reasonable and *honest*...

then why is that they always back up the lying psychopath's false story, until the videotape comes to light? And why do they always rally round the supposed bad apple who is the exception?

[Enthusiast]

18. This is a valid observation.

And fellow officers are seldom (never?) punished for providing false cover to protect a lying psychopath. The good ol' boys club knows no bounds.

[wroberts189]

5. Another day another story of police brutality... sad nt

[MrScorpio]

6. Bad Cop...

No Donut!

[ThatsMyBarack]

12. ....

:rofl:

[bobburgster]

7. Surprised?

You shouldn't be. The abuses by cops is legendary...only filming them gets any consequence.

[old mark]

8. The cop beat this guy with a sap? I didn't know they were still legal -

a sap is a long, maybe 10", pocket sized club made of a lead center wrapped with leather - used to be called a blackjack. In most places they are illegal for a civillian to carry - a prohibited offnsive weapon - used to be banned even for cops - too easy to kill someone by hitting them in the head slightly too hard or in the wrong place.

They are famous for being used for beating people senseless quickly, causing concussion, skull fractures, broken bones and death.

If this cop had been a civilian and non-white, he'd be in for at least 20 years for aggravated assault or worse.

This is real bullshit on tha part of the cops.
Google "sap-weapon" and see what you get...

mark

[Liberal_in_LA]

9. And they talk about his 15 year spotless record. Then what was he carrying a 'sap' for.

Bet he's used the sap before, just didn't get caught.

[old mark]

16. Here in PA, they are illegal - considered a deadly weapon...

I have not seen one around for maybe 45 years.
They were very common till around the 1960's when police were less.....polite.


mark

[Gidney N Cloyd]

10. Article doesn't say what happened to the cops that stood around and watched.

Seems like they should be doing a little time, too.

[Swamp Rat]

11. Cozzi should get 10 yrs minimum, and the other abettors should get 3 to 5 yrs.

The judge was VERY leanient... probably because they were cops, not regular ol' American citizens.

We need REAL CHANGE in our justice system.

[surrealAmerican]

15. Actually, the fact that he got jail time is progress.

It should have been a longer sentence, though.

[charlie]

17. YouTube video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VQDMieFtvw

I wonder what happened to the other 3 idiots who stood around and let him whack on the guy.