IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU TOO: Woodridge, IL police terrorize wrong driver, pointing guns, telling the victim they were going to ‘shoot you in the head’ UPDATED

Woodridge, IL PD needs an enema.  What their officers did to an innocent member of the community could have happened to any of us.  You, me, or a loved one.

You’re driving through Woodridge when an unmarked cop car roars up behind you and then blocks you in.  Plainclothes officers pour out, pointing guns at you, shouting an assortment of commands, some contradictory when they weren’t threatening to “shoot you in the head” and “end you.”

Great police work, maybe if you’re 100% certain it’s John Dillinger in the car.  But it wasn’t John Dillinger.  And it wasn’t good police work.  It was an innocent man.  A productive, respected member of the community.

For what it’s worth at least someone there with a lick of sense (and it surely wasn’t Dumbass Daniel Murray of Woodridge PD) checked the plate and discovered it wasn’t the same car.  In fact, it wasn’t even close.  They were looking for a black male and a black female in a black VW.  All they had was a black male in a (very different color) Volkswagon with a license plate starting with CN.  That’s where the similarity ends.

AOL isn’t naming the officers involved but we surely will.  They need to be shamed.  And made infamous and probably even unemployable.  They are not fit to be running around with a badge and a gun.  They’re listed in the lawsuit complaint filed by the driver of the Volkswagon SUV Derrick House.

Here they are:

Daniel Murray, Village of Woodridge PD  He’s the guy in the screen grab above and his words will haunt him at the civil trial.

Zachary Harvey, Village of Woodridge PD

Brent Kielbasa, Village of Woodridge PD

Tom Cybulski, Village of Woodridge PD

Patrick Pendergast, Village of Woodridge PD

These five thugs with guns, along with the Village of Woodridge, have been hit with a seven count complaint. (Click here to download it.)

Count 1:  False Arrest under Section 1983.  Mr. House was cuffed and stuffed, illegally and without probable cause.  He is asking for $500,000 for starters.

Count II:  Excessive Force under Section 1983.  You can’t point guns at people in society without exigent circumstances, even as a cop.  He is asking for $500,000 for starters.

Count III: Failure to Intervene under Section 1983.  The other officers were legally bound to intervene to stop an unconstitutional detention/arrest and physical violence by Daniel Murray.  They did not.  He is asking for $500,000 for starters.

Count IV:  Illinois Common Law Assault.  You can’t threaten to blow people’s heads off, particularly when you’re pointing a gun at their head from 10 or 15 feet away.    They said, “We are going to end you.” Oh yeah, and “I will shoot you in the fucking head.”  Get your checkbooks out.  He is asking for $500,000 for starters.

Count V:  Illinois Common Law IIED  (Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress).  See Count IV.  He is asking for $500,000 for starters.

Count VI:  Illinois Common Law False Imprisonment.  Yep, Daniel Murray effed up cuffing and stuffing the driver, Mr. House.  He is asking for $500,000 for starters.

Count VII:  Municipal Indemnity.  Your village employed these cowboys with badges and guns.  You get to clean up their unlawful and unethical behavior by writing a check.  Sky’s the limit on this one.

Let’s see what the federal courts have to say about their qualified immunity on this.  If I were these five, I’d be worried.

Here’s the Civil Rights Lawyer John Bryan on this.

The Village of Woodridge is not accepting responsibility for this at all.   “Deeply regrets” means a lot more when you’re writing a check for seven figures.

I left a message for the chief, and sent an email.  As of this post he had not responded in any fashion.

UPDATE

The chief has attempted to be very responsive to this.  He called my phone four times today but my new spam-blocking app needs tweaking.  Yeah, it’s killing off the endless calls for Medicare supplemental insurance, burial insurance, and a half-dozen other things Indians are trying to sell me but it’s also blocking some legitimate calls.

He also emailed me.

He’s very aware of this and has been a busy man since this lawsuit was filed about a week ago.  Local media has picked up the story and the village is getting a metric ton of bad press.