Chicago Police officer William Cozzi has admitted that he “lost it” when he attacked 60-year-old Randle Miles, 62, who was handcuffed and shackled to a wheelchair at the time. The attack with his baton is shown on the video below. He pleaded guilty to a civil rights violation.
The 51-year-old officer now faces jail with the government seeking six to eight years.
What is odd is that Cozzi was only sentenced previously to a misdemeanor battery. What does it take to convict a police officer of a felony. Yet, the victim should be satisfied that there was any charge at all given the treatment of a recent case of a Chattanooga police officer.
Cozzi received 18 months’ probation. The tape shows Cozzi hitting Miles at least 10 times with a “sap,” or a bludgeon.
Cozzi says that Miles had become “combative” and simply I made a mistake. I should not have hit him because he was handcuffed and secured.”
For the video and the story, click here.
You don’t think the officer would have confronted the 60 year old man if he had not been handcuffed and in a wheel chair do you? He must have known he had a family depending on him and did not want to take the risk.
mespo, I was going for more “disrespect in general” more than the specific instance here. Sometimes clarity is sacrificed for humor, a bad habit. Mea culpa.
Buddha,
I don’t know if turn about is fair play, but if that was a relative of mine, it would be hard to control my anger. The thing I don’t understand is the Officer’s comment that the handcuffed and shackled to a wheel chair victim became “combative”. What the hell does that mean? How can someone who is handcuffed and shackled to a wheel chair be any danger to the officer? That is just pure nonsense. I don’t have any criminal law exposure so I am sure someone else here can confirm why he only received probation after striking this individual 10 times? This officer needs to be spending some shackled time of his own in Cook County jail.
I agree Mike. And I think as long as the law and it’s officers disrespect citizens, then turn about is fair play.
Buddha,
“Respect” is the key word. Many officers see themselves as victims of the public and all too often they are socialized into this feeling by seniors in the bureaucracy. Sadly, they don’t understand that self-respect comes from within and are caught up in getting it from without.
Why should you respect the authorities again? He’s lucky that’s not my grandfather. Jail time would be the least of his worries.