A couple in North Chicago, Illinois, Brandy Allen and Nicholas Timmons, have filed a lawsuit against the Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group, a Lake County MEG officer, “unknown agents” and “unknown police officers” in a disturbing case of alleged robbery and abuse. The couple says that police stopped them without cause and proceeded to arrest them, interrogated them, and ransack their apartment. They also allege that police took an array of valuable items from their apartment and refused to return the property.
The complaint details an encounter on July 24th after they left their apartment to go grocery shopping. They say that their vehicle was pulled over by four officers with assault rifles, fatigues, and bulletproof vests. They say that an officer refused to tell them why they were stopped and simply said “you know what it is for mother fucker.” The police demanded to know where the guns and drugs were. Despite their denials and the lack of any drugs or guns found in the car, the police searched the couple, damaged their van by ripping out panels and carpeting, and took them in for interrogation. The couple said that the police threatened to take away their children — a threat that we have heard in other cases of questionable arrests and interrogations.
They were told that their apartment was raid while they were being interrogated. When they were eventually released and returned home, they say that they found a disaster area of torn and tossed furniture and missing items including a flat screen televisions, laptops, their children’s video games and even their $1,500 in money orders for Allen’s tax refund. The front door was busted in.
They say that police denied taking the property but that later they learned that Lake County MEG cashed in her $1,500 in money orders. They say that, when they brought the proof of the cashing in of the money order, the police told them that they wouldn’t give back the money until they hired a lawyer and could prove that the money orders didn’t come from drug proceeds. I recently wrote about similar cases around the country.
Timmons said that the trauma cost her her job and the couple was thrown out of their apartment as a result of the damage.
The MEG has been previously accused of such abuse.
Source: IBTimes
Kudos: Michael Blott
Reblogged this on Citizens, not serfs.
This text is worth everyone’s attention. Where can I find out more?
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“Chicago should turn over police files”
“Misconduct investigations are the public’s business”
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-police-investigation-files-edit-0324-20140324,0,4412244.story
The latest from Chicago…
http://reason.com/24-7/2014/01/10/man-sues-chicago-police-accusing-them-of
LEO criminality is as old as the republic itself.
Police, n. armed force for protection and participation.
american cops have turned into fascist thugs
“This is another example of how many law enforcement agencies run roughshod over the rights of the public. I think Lake County MEG needs to be taught a lesson on this one.” -rafflaw
Yep.
_____
01/08/2014
Hidden Third Cameraman Proves Crucial in Nebraska Photographer-Abuse Case
By Jay Stanley, Senior Policy Analyst, ACLU Speech, Privacy & Technology Project at 9:36am
https://www.aclu.org/blog/free-speech-criminal-law-reform/hidden-third-cameraman-proves-crucial-nebraska-photographer
“Like many such videos, this one went viral, received some national attention, and brought a heap of trouble down on the officers involved, four of whom were fired and two of whom are facing charges.
The other thing that is disturbing is that without that third camera recording the incident, it’s likely that none of this would have come to light, after officers inside the house took the two brothers’ cameras. Unless, of course, one of the 28 officers involved did their job as a law enforcement officer and enforced the law by revealing the wrongdoing of their fellow officers. I’m not sure many people would put much faith in that happening, in which case without that third video this family might have filed a complaint, and faced a he-said/she-said situation in which the larger community would have given the police the benefit of the doubt.
Finally, I would note that these police had clearly learned how dangerous cameras can be to officers that violate rights, since they made suppressing the photographic evidence such a priority, and indeed lost their jobs over it. But if police can seize two cameras and still get caught by a third, that also suggests that we may be approaching a point where police come to recognize that abuse anywhere in public is simply too risky for them.”
http://youtu.be/Txwx5HXMbfQ
Wow. I have to say I hate clicking something that says “liked” to put this on a list for others to see.
This is another example of how many law enforcement agencies run roughshod over the rights of the public. I think Lake County MEG needs to be taught a lesson on this one.
You have to be kidding me….
The Cook County corruption spread to Lake County, IL. and Lake County, IN. generations ago. Good to see they’re keeping up the good work!
I am so glad I don’t live in Illinois anymore.
Someone is about to be sued, and have an excellent start on their (plaintiffs) retirement savings (punitive damages from the suit)?
All of those “police” thugs that did this to these people need to do time.
I find it crazy that you can be thrown out of an apartment for damage caused by someone else that was clearly wrong to begin with.
But tenants don’t have a lot of rights in many places in this country, I guess.
Reblogged this on Dead Citizen's Rights Society.
The FBI ransacks homes and steals valuables too: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1T8G0jqvHoKu7MRL7nuNr4m4wdh-iH5KPki-UO_U7kV8/pub