Charges were dropped Wednesday against an Oak Lawn police officer after the violent arrest of a teen that was caught on video.
Officer Patrick O’Donnell’s case was set to go to a bench trial Thursday, but the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office dropped the aggravated battery and official misconduct charges.
Leaders in the Arab community told ABC7 they are furious that one of the new states’ attorney’s very first actions was dropping charges against an officer they say nearly killed a teenage boy with their hands.
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In a statement Wednesday, the state’s attorney’s office said, “After a thorough review, we concluded that the evidence is insufficient to meet our burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt to move forward with the prosecution of this case. Prosecutors must evaluate the evidence at every stage of a criminal proceeding, and act accordingly in the pursuit of justice. Throughout the pendency of this case, the CCSAO has been in communication with the victim, his family, and attorney as we sought an appropriate resolution. Today we asked the court to dismiss the case, and the court granted our motion.”