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Cop Facing Felony Charges For Shoving DUI Suspect Caught on Tape.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013 15:11

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Skokie, IL—The Cook County State’s Attorney announced that felony charges were brought in a criminal complaint against 19-year veteran Skokie police officer Michael Hart, 43.

Last March, another officer of the Skokie Police Department arrested Cassandra Feuerstein, 47 for DUI. She was brought into the station where Feuerstein was subjected to the routine booking process that includes fingerprinting and photographing.

Officer Hart was assisting in that effort but apparently the woman became uncooperative and resisted the process.

At some point Feuerstein refused to be photographed and as she was being returned to a holding cell she fought that effort with both hands to prevent that from happening.

There is video with a view inside the cell but none to show what happened outside the cell door.

Officer Hart is seen giving Feuerstein a hearty shove into the cell when the unthinkable happened. The woman went face first into the sharp edge of a concrete bench suffering some regrettably nasty injuries.

Feuerstein has had to since undergo reconstructive facial surgery. She’s also suffered vision and dental problems as a result of this event.

What this excessive force? Did Feuerstein bring this upon herself by physically resisting Hart’s command and being placed in the cell? Did officer Hart have malicious intent?

I can’t help but pity Feuerstein in that her resistance did not justify the injuries. On the other hand I’m convinced that officer Hart never intended to inflict any injury whatsoever. He was simply trying to get her back into the cell.

I fault the design of the cell itself having a bench with sharp concrete edges. The facility architect and designers apparently did not take into account the fact that violence often takes place in such holding cells because drunks and mentally deranged people are the most likely to inhabit them.

The risk is equal to police officers when they must restrain or remove prisoners that resist them.

As for Feuerstein she was apparently drunk since she entered a plea agreement and paid a fine for the DUI.

The shove itself doesn’t bother me because I’ve shoved my share of angry or drunken arrestees. I’ve never seen such an outcome result, ever.

I consider this an accident, nothing more. Was this a crime? I just don’t see that being the case.

This is a matter that belongs in the civil courts. I’m horrified that a man’s career, retirement and liberty is jeopardized over this incident.

Officer hart is in need of a good lawyer and defense investigator. This case needs to be tried in court rather than be the gossip of police haters.

Hart has been charged with Aggravated Battery and Official Misconduct. Cook County Circuit Court Judge Israel Desierto has ordered that Hart held on a $75,000 bond. It’s unknown if Hart has yet retained a defense attorney.

I don’t know anything about Feuerstein’s background but I can’t help but feel the horror of the outcome of the officer’s shove.

I’m not however convinced that officer Hart could have ever envisioned the injuries resulting from that shove.

Read documents and watch the video below:

skokie officer charged 10-1.30.13.pdf

hart proffer.pdf

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