Cook County Judge To Weis: You Can't Fire Cozzi

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Jul 14, 2008 8:10PM

Embattled Police Superintendent Jody Weis just can't catch a break. On Friday, Cook County Circuit Judge William Maki upheld the Chicago Police Board's decision to suspend Officer William Cozzi instead of firing him for the 2005 beating of a wheelchaired man was the correct one. The incident took place in August of 2005 at at Norwegian American Hospital in Humboldt Park. Video of the beating shows then-60-year-old Randle Miles handcuffed and shackled to a wheelchair while Cozzi hit him ten times. Miles had been stabbed by a woman earlier in the day and rather than seeking treatment had "downed a bottle of gin" instead. At the insistence of friends, he finally sought treatment at the hospital where he became "agitated" and "abusive," causing hospital staff to summon Cozzi. Miles was charged with resisting arrest, despite video evidence to the contrary, and the charges were later dropped.

Cozzi was issued a two-year, unpaid suspension for the attack and in November, the Chicago Police Department appealed the suspension and asked to have Cozzi fired. Meanwhile, when the case was brought to the attention of Supt. Weis, he sent the case to the FBI (Weis's old stomping ground) for possible federal prosecution which the Federal Order of Police is contesting on grounds of double jeopardy; Cozzi previously plead guilty in Cook County criminal court to charges of misdemeanor battery and was sentenced to 18 months probation. His return to the force, which was to happen in the spring, has been on hold due to the federal case against him. [S-T]

Photo by Triborough