Plaintiff:
Quinnon Mitchell
Incident date:
01/15/2013
Location:
201 W. 44th Pl.
Allegations:
Mitchell was walking to his sister's home from a friend's house when Officer Palomino and Sergeant De La Torre, in plainclothes and driving an unmarked car, stopped to question him. Mitchell ran, and Palomino pulled out a gun and ran after him. De La Torre also followed on foot. Soon other officers arrived and pursued Mitchell. He was pushed to the ground, and Officer Gunning handcuffed Mitchell's hands behind his back. De La Torre walked up to Mitchell, called him a “B***h” and kicked Mitchell in the head several times. De La Torre threatened to use a Taser on Mitchell if he did not get up, and dragged Mitchell by his wrists across the pavement. Mitchell was taken to a police station and placed in a holding cell. At the station, De La Torre threatened to come into Mitchell's cell and “whoop his ass.” He then asked Mitchell if he had any keys on him, and Mitchell handed over his car keys. Mitchell was then taken to a hospital, where he received 14 stitches for deep cuts on his shoulders and face. When Mitchell was taken back to the station, he learned the officers were claiming that they had stopped Mitchell while he was driving and found a weapon in his car. The officers falsely charged Mitchell with driving on a suspended license and failure to stop at a stop sign. Knowing that Mitchell had prior arrests and was on probation, the officers also charged him with resisting arrest, felony possession of a firearm as a prior felon and felony possession of a firearm while on parole. Mitchell was held at Cook County Jail for 18 months. He was acquitted of all charges.