Nothing is more compelling that police misconduct and torture continue then the case of Cassander Feuerstein a 47 year old mother of two. A White female from Chicago she was pulled over by Skokie police and taken into police custody for allegedly drunk while driving. What is clearly seen in a video tape is that she was not disorderly, rude, nor violent toward any of the officers according to the tape in which Skokie police provided to her attorney Torri Hamilton who have sued the Village in wake of Feuerstein being shoved inside a jail cell inside the police station and hitting her face against a concrete bed which was located in the rear of the cell. What remains unclear is why would Officer Michael Hart from the Skokie police department use force toward a female prisoner that never provoked him. If Officer Hart felt threaten why would he be seen shoving Feuerstein from behind. She was not provoking as is what is seen in the video.
Officer Hart must be held accountable for breaking nearly every bone in the face area of Feuerstein as she hit her head down against a concrete brick bench that is used by prisoners to sleep on inside the tiny cell. This is a officer that must be held accountable and I called the Skokie Village this week seeking answers. I was informed that it could not be confirmed if the case was under investigation and that all complaints of police misconduct is handled by the Chief of Skokie Police Anthony Scarpelli and that all cases where that a officer is placed on administrative level must be handled by the chief of police. Feuerstein filed a complaint against Officer Hart and he attempted to have her arrested for resisting a peace officer. Officer Hart claims were dismissed against Feuerstein by the Cook County State's Attorney Office under the administration of Anita Alvarez.
In the call to Skokie officials we attempted to learn if Officer Hart would be brought up for disciplinary action and learned that is a decision for the Chief of Police and Fire/Police Commission for the Village, but a media spoke person for the Village informed me that she was not informed of any disciplinary action being filed against Officer Hart and that if the community desired to comment on the case it would need to be done in writing to the commission. She stated that the fire/police commission for the village would not be meeting on October 21, 2013 and that she was not aware when the new date will be set. Skokie is ten minutes away from Chicago who have seen one of the biggest police torture scandal for over 42 years under the command of Jon Burge.
On Monday a letter will be prepared and submitted to the Village of Skokie requesting that Officer Hart be placed on administrative level pending the results of a investigation into this case. Upon probable cause that Officer Hart violated Feuerstein civil and criminal rights as a U.S. citizen in that letter we are also calling for this officer to be fired and prosecuted for what appears to be a clear case of a officer crossing the line and taking the law into his own hand. This kind of conduct must not be accepted. This is how police misconduct and other crimes by police spread into systematic abuse. Lets stop it now with the termination of this officer from the Skokie police force immediately.
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/10/woman-thrown-face-first-into-concrete-slab-sues-cops/
http://youtu.be/jqhefrPzCnY
http://skokie.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/lawyer-skokie-cop-victims-face-split-open
Updates will follow from this case.
People you review the tape and make a judgment as to this case. Get involved. Write to:
Anita Alvarez
Cook County State's Attorney
2650 S. California Ave.
Chicago, IL 60608
DEMAND: that criminal charges be brought against Michael Hart of the Skokie police Department.
Mark A. Clements
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