A Waukegan (IL) Police Department officer has been arrested and charged with two counts of felony official misconduct and two counts of misdemeanor battery. The charges stem from an incident captured on body camera footage. The video shows Officer Richard Tabisz throwing a handcuffed suspect to the ground during an arrest for domestic battery and violating an order of protection. The suspect, who had been in custody and was cooperating with the police, was forcefully thrown down by Tabisz. Tabisz was not the arresting officer but the transport officer.
The incident occurred on the afternoon of December 14, when the suspect was being transferred to Tabisz's squad car, which was better equipped for transport to lockup. The footage reveals the suspect falling hard on his back on a paved driveway after Tabisz threw him. Following the incident, Tabisz and another officer are heard making derogatory remarks to the suspect. Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart noted that while other officers at the scene acted professionally, Tabisz's actions were unwarranted because the situation was under control.
In response to the incident, the State's Attorney's Office has initiated a review of all pending cases involving Tabisz. Tabisz has been placed on administrative leave and is scheduled for his first court appearance on January 17.
Comments