Plaintiff:
Steven Castleberry
Incident date:
07/27/2009
Location:
5101 S. Wentworth Ave.
Allegations:
Castleberry, who was being held in the Cook County Jail, was sent to a police station for a lineup. Before leaving the jail, photographs of his face and upper body torso were taken. Upon his arrival at the station, Castleberry told Detective Ghaston of his mental illness and his need to receive his psychotropic drugs while being held in custody for the lineup. Detective Ghaston refused to provide him with his medications. The day after his initial transfer, Castleberry was finally placed in an Area 2 lockup for processing and assigned to a one-person cell under close observation. He was taken to the hospital for a psychiatric evaluation but was not given his prescribed medications. He was then returned to Area 2. Castleberry saw Officer Jones putting on a jacket that would conceal his badge number. Officer Jones then assaulted Castleberry, continuously striking him in the head and face with his fist, punching him in the face and body, and hitting and kicking him until his forehead was cut and bleeding. Officer Godinez joined in the attack, kicking Castleberry while he was on the floor. Castleberry tried to run away, but was grabbed by the neck, slammed down on the floor and dragged down the corridor of the lockup, bleeding . He was eventually taken to the hospital for treatment. To cover up their misconduct, Jones and Godinez charged Castleberry with aggravated battery and aggravated criminal sexual assault. The sexual assault charges were for the lineup at Area 2 that he had been a part of. Upon his return to Cook County Jail, photographs of Castleberry's face, neck and upper torso were taken again, as evidence that his assault did not take place within the jail. Castleberry received further medical care at the Cook County Jail.