College Student: 'Traumatized' By Alleged Police Beating


POSTED: 4:57 pm CST January 10, 2007
UPDATED: 7:35 pm CST January 10, 2007


NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. -- A young suburban man is claiming police beat him up for nothing and now he's "traumatized."

"I can't sleep at night, said Windell Gilliom, 19.


Gilliom goes to the College Of Lake County and would like to be a biology teacher when he graduates. He's never gotten into trouble, but today is up against several charges including aggravated battery on a police officer, resisting and obstructing a police officer.

Gilliom has gruesome pictures of what he looked like moments after he was allegedly punched and beaten by two North Chicago police late last month.... outside this mcdonalds restaurant. gilliom claims the officers used excessive force when he wouldn't show his id to them.

"He threw me on the car," Gilliom said. "He said, 'You going to jail tonight, little punk.'"

At his attorney's office Wednesday with his father and brother, Gilliom admitted he and another of his brothers got in a verbal argument inside the restaurant prior to the incident. He recalled that the manager threatened to call police. But he said he didn't do anything to deserve this.

Gilliom said he felt the officer's grip tighten, and things got "dimmer and dimmer."

"My knee loosened," he said, 'and I heard my brother say, 'Don't hit my brother!"

"He had cuffs and hit his face, then other cop hit him too," said brother Tierell Burnett.

Police wouldn't go on camera, but issued a written statement saying they launched an internal investigation.

Gilliom's Waukegan attorney said the whole thing could have been avoided if the officers had just issued a disorderly conduct fine instead of issuing a beating.

"I believe abuse of police powers was used here. Civil rights were violated. We have a right to be free from excessive force," said Attorney Scott Williams.

"Now police got me scared of them," said Gilliom. "I think they should be fired."

Police said their internal investigation will take about a week.


um um um

Wtf?

For not showing ID?

I once refused to show my ID because I wasn't doing a thing wrong. The cops just told me to move along since they knew that I knew that I had every right to not show them it.

Next time he'll show his ID though.

Here it's obligated to carry your id with you
and you can't have beer outside with you either
I have been fined for that a few times
Ridiculous