Brawling Chicago Cop Pleads Not Guilty to Beating Bartender
Pleads Innocent to All Fifteen Counts
Anthony Abbate, 38, received his fifteen minutes of infamy when a video surveillance tape caught him allegedly beating up the woman bartender after she refused to serve him another drink at Jesse's Shortstop Inn on February 19th. The video, shown to a shocked nationwide audience, depicts the six foot one inch 250 pound Abbate brawling with the five foot four inch 115 lb Karoline Obrycka.
Initially Abbate was only charged with a misdemeanor until the tape was made public. He was later indicted by a grand jury on other charges including official misconduct, intimidation, conspiracy and communicating with a witness. The prosecutor upgraded his charge to a felony and he was arrested Tuesday of this week. In all, the veteran officer plead not guilty to all fifteen counts against him.
According to the indictment, a woman told the manager of the bar that Abbate or other officers would plant illegal drugs on bar employees or customers and arrest customers for drunken driving if the videotape wasn't suppressed. And according to Assistant Cook County State's Attorney David Navarro, another person attempted to bribe Obrycka for her silence.
Peter Hickey, Abbate's attorney, had this comment: "He's pleading not guilty because he is not guilty. And we expect at the end, the conclusion of the trial, that that's what the outcome will be." He then admitted that he was the only person on the face of the planet that hadn't yet seen his client's video debut.
Amazingly Abbate wasn't arrested until nearly a month after the incident due to the fact that he'd checked himself into a substance abuse center where his fellow cops conveniently couldn't locate him. He hasn't yet been fired from the department, but he is on unpaid leave. A judge ordered him to surrender his weapons but it's uncertain if that ruling means he must cut off his hands.
According to the bartender, Abbate became irate after she refused him service. She says he told her, "Nobody tells me what to do," before he pursued his drunken attack.
Sources:
http://kutv.com/topstories/topstories_story_136175446.html
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/308240,CST-NWS-beat22.article
Published by Jenny Corvette
Jenny Corvette lives in Southwestern lower Michigan. She has a BA in English, with an emphasis in Creative Writing. She minored in both Political Science and Philosophy. She has nearly 15 years experience as... View profile
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13 Comments
Post a CommentMamabear & Jenny- No, I am not a police officer. I am trying to be objective-I don't want to see anyone railroaded-layman or lawman. Take the case of the lawyer w/T.B. who is in isolation. He has 9- million dollar law suits on him as of two days ago. Talk about injustice? I doubt any of the plaintifs even have T.B. I can see why the Police no longer give breaks with a lawyer behind a thug or lawbiding citizen with an axe to grind for what ever reason.
I think D.I. beats the streets in my town...
Regarding Dl's comment. I am a law and order, right wing person and 99% of the time I come down on the side of the police but you are seeing things so differently than the the rest of the world. One would think you might be a Chicago Police member. Let's see now, I am a 5' 4" woman bar person weighing about 120 and I am not drinking. But, I decide to attack a 6 foot plus, 230 lb. cop anyway just because I don't want to serve him any more drinks which is what I am suppossed to do when someone is too drunk to drive or my liquor license will be taken away. Hmmmmmmmm?
The tape evidence clearly shows the woman as the aggressor! Everything that the Officer did was legal and in self defense. I do not believe the press is taking this case in context as they are showing only portions of the tape. Obrycka was on tv the next day or two later-there was not a mark on her but she told how she was beaten, an obvious lie. I TRUELY believe when this tape is broken down in it will be proved that the woman attacked the officer and he acted within police protocols to defend himself. He clearly missed the swing while trying to keep her off his legs, so no contact means NO assault. This is an obvious attempt by the Police Dept. to make this officer a scape goat and the woman is looking to score a big settlement on a law suit that she was the aggressor in. I cannot wait to see this resolved!! My condolences go out to the suspended Officer and his family. All one needs to do is look, and it is as plain as day that this Officer was attacked from behind and continually p
Agree Chicago has always been known for being corrupt from the police department to unions. I hope this bastard gets what is coming to him. His kind do not belong on the streets.
Hope the mayor wakes up and starts doing some cleaning.
Chicago has always been known as a corrupt city with some, notice I said some, corrupt police but this guy goes beyond corrupt. We are talking pond scum!
Note to USA Citizen- please don't wait for anyone to beg you to stay in the USA, feel free to leave now. You should be forced to live in a country that exacutes people for just the type of comment you made about your country. You might then appreciate what you have. I did not say America is perfect but it comes a lot closer than most.
HAHAHAHA what a retard. If there's a helll, he'll be burnin in it =)
it is sad that america sucks. many believe that america is facist nazism disguised as a democratic country of the free. i hate america and their twisted ways and may consider living in australia in my older years.
His lawyer saw the tape, for sure. He's counting w/ the "justice" we have in here; a place where ppl sues everybody for nothing...
Just cause he wheres that uniform doesnt justify anthing hope they trow the book at him its not right hope he gets whats comming to him ..even in other countrys they use there so called power to bully people....Rich from oz