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Off-duty Chicago police officer charged after video shows him kneeling on teen’s back
Michael Vitellaro, 49, who has labored for the Chicago Police Division since 2000, acquired data his son’s bike was stolen from the native library after which seen at a close-by Starbucks, in keeping with a legal criticism filed August 18 in Prepare dinner County that led to the costs.
The off-duty officer drove his son to the Starbucks the place he noticed his son’s bike on the sidewalk, leaning up towards a pillar. He “waited in his automobile to hopefully observe who had stolen the bicycle,” in keeping with the legal criticism.
The 14-year-old, recognized within the legal criticism as J.N., was seated on his personal bicycle till he dismounted and went to maneuver the Vitellaro’s son’s bike.
“As J.N. touched the bicycle, defendant, who had exited his automobile shortly earlier than, walked as much as J.N., grabbed J.N.’s forearm and pushed J.N. to the bottom,” stated the criticism.
In accordance with the criticism, Vitellaro pressured the boy to the bottom and detained him by putting his knee on J.N.’s again.
Video surveillance footage from the Starbucks and different companies within the space displays that J.N. was not the one who took the bicycle, the criticism stated.
“As a substitute, the bicycle was already at that location previous to J.N. arriving whereas driving his personal bike,” the doc stated.
CNN obtained video footage of the incident from attorneys representing the boy’s household. One among his buddies captured the video, which additionally reveals a bunch of boys making an attempt to get the off-duty sergeant off the 14-year-old.
Vitellaro proceeded to name 911 and ask for backup help, in keeping with the criticism. He didn’t take away his knee from the boy’s again till a bystander questioned him, in keeping with video of the incident and the criticism.
The boy was crying and visibly upset as he walked away from Vitellaro, who adopted him, in keeping with the criticism and video.
CNN has reached out to the Chicago Police Division in addition to the legal professional representing Vitellaro for remark.
Vitellaro turned himself in to Park Ridge police on Thursday and was taken to a bond listening to, in keeping with a media launch from the Park Ridge police.
On the information convention Thursday afternoon, J.N.’s household legal professional Antonio Romanucci stated, “[Vitellaro] used his police powers, his police coaching, to make an arrest, to make a seizure of our shopper with none trigger by any means.”
“There’s completely no room in our neighborhood for this,” the boy’s mom stated right this moment throughout the information convention. “This can be a scenario the place [J.N.] confronted one thing egregious. He was the one brown boy there and that’s a part of how we’re processing issues as a household.”
A particular situation of Vitellaro’s bail is that he not contact J.N. or his household, in keeping with the criticism.
Vitellaro is due again in courtroom on September 8.