Plaintiff:
Michael Meakens
Incident date:
02/17/2007
Location:
7445 S. Stony Island Ave.
Allegations:
Meakens was at the drive-through of a fast food restaurant at 75th and Stony Island when Sergeant Bechina, a member of the Special Operation Section, got him out of his vehicle and began interrogating him about the neighborhood. After asking where they could locate drugs and guns in the area, Officer Connolly entered Meakens' vehicle, searched it, and uncovered $4,500 from rent receipts in a briefcase. They confiscated the money and placed Meakens in a squad car. Unable to provide the officers with an answer regarding drugs or guns, Meakens was transported to a police station and falsely charged with unlawful use of a weapon. He spent twenty-five days in jail, and was found not guilty at trial.