charges were dropped<\/strong><\/span><\/a> in December 2024, after Eileen O\u2019Neill Burke took over as Cook County state\u2019s attorney, leading to protests from members of the Arab American community.<\/p>\nA separate federal lawsuit against Oak Lawn police was put on pause while O\u2019Donnell\u2019s criminal case proceeded but aimed to hold him, Officers Mark Hollingsworth and Brandon Collins, and the village accountable for claims of excessive force and failure to intervene along with state law claims of battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and willful and wanton conduct.<\/p>\n
The Village Board voted 6-0 to approve the $825,000 settlement due to pressure from its insurance carrier, \u201cnot because of the merits of the case,\u201d the village said in a news release Tuesday. The village will pay $250,000 out-of-pocket, with the insurance carrier covering the remainder, the village said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlthough no member of the board wanted to settle, the reality is that we\u2019re operating in a climate where certain elected officials are openly criticizing law enforcement and pursuing criminal charges against our officers,\u201d Mayor Terry Vorderer said in the release. \u201cWe had to consider the broader consequences and act accordingly. This settlement puts the entire matter behind us and finds no fault in the actions of the police department.\u201d<\/p>\n
The village described the 2022 arrest of the teen as having resulted from a traffic stop \u201con a vehicle that was emanating a strong odor of burnt cannabis, had a cracked windshield and that was missing a front license plate,\u201d according to the release.<\/p>\n
Instead of following lawful orders, the village said, the teen fled the scene while concealing a loaded handgun, leading the officers involved to tackle him while he continued to resist arrest until he was subdued and the gun was recovered.<\/p>\n
Several Oak Lawn police officers and others guard and block the media from fellow police Officer Patrick O’Donnell, center, as he exits the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago on March 1, 2023, after pleading not guilty to charges including aggravated battery and official misconduct (Antonio Perez\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is what happens when people treat offenders like victims and police like perpetrators,\u201d 6th District Trustee Ralph Soch said. \u201cUnless we recognize the consequences of that approach and correct course, we will continue to see more situations like this.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to a statement on behalf of the attorneys from Romanucci and Blandin and Abdallah Law, representing the plaintiff, the settlement serves as \u201cimportant accountability\u201d for the Oak Lawn officers\u2019 handling of the former teenager\u2019s arrest.<\/p>\n
\u201cThree white officers using closed fist blows to the head to this Palestinian-American teenager was wholly unreasonable and should never have been used when other tactics were readily available,\u201d the attorneys said. \u201cThis egregious behavior was unreasonable and over-the-top, and it is our hope that the Oak Lawn Police are more mindful going forward of their responsibility of reasonable conduct when engaging with all members of the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which filed the original lawsuit alongside Abdallah Law, said in a statement Monday the three officers who apprehended the teen \u201cengaged in extreme and outrageous conduct\u201d and the village created a false narrative to justify their actions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cWe are deeply concerned that a settlement may allow the officers and the village to evade meaningful accountability,\u201d CAIR communications coordinator Jordan Esparza-Kelley said. \u201cThis is not just about justice \u2026 it is about preserving public trust and ensuring that taxpayer dollars are not used to shield law enforcement from consequences.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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