Plaintiff:
Karolina Obrycka
Incident date:
02/19/2007
Location:
5425 W. Belmont Ave.
Allegations:
Officer Abbate Jr. was off-duty and having drinks at Jesse's Shortstop Inn on West Belmont Avenue when he became so drunk, unruly and abusive that the bartender, Obrycka, refused to serve him any more alcohol. Abbate stepped behind the bar and attacked Obrycka, beating, kicking and punching her. Ababte left, and the police were called to the bar. The manager of the bar, Kolodziej, and a patron, Cepiaszuk, informed officers that Officer Abbate was a Chicago Police officer and that the assault had been recorded on video. A friend of Abbate's who worked at Jesse's told him about the tape. Abbate and his friend told Obrycka that if she declined to file a complaint, Abbate in exchange would pay for her medical bills, lost wages and other financial losses because of the beating. Obrycka refused. Abbate and other defendants then turned to threats, telling Obrycka, her manager, and the owner of Jesse's that if they didn't turn the videotape over to them or destroy it without showing it to anyone else, their lives--and the lives of other employees and even patrons of Jesse's--would be in danger and they would be arrested on various trumped-up charges. Obrycka and her manager went to the police department's Office of Professional Standards, but soon realized that the office was not properly investigating the attack. Representatives for Obrycka and the other plaintiffs gave the videotape of the beating to the media. Abbate was indicted in April 2007 on 14 counts of aggravated battery, official misconduct and conspiracy. Abbate was found guilty of aggravated battery, but acquitted of official misconduct, and sentenced to two years probation.