CTA Union: Police Harassed Arrested Bus Driver

By Prescott Carlson in News on Nov 11, 2009 9:40PM

The president of the Amalgamated Transit Union, which represents CTA bus drivers and maintenance workers, is claiming that Chicago police harassed a bus driver days before his arrest.

Ricardo Mendoza was charged with disorderly conduct and obstruction of justice last Friday for allegedly filing a false police report. Mendoza claims that on September 12, off-duty police officer Thomas O'Grady boarded the bus Mendoza was driving and physically attacked him and "punched him unconcious." O'Grady says they had a heated exchange because he was riding his bike and Mendoza cut him off, narrowly avoiding an accident. While surveillance cameras captured the scene, the video does not show any physical contact, something that witnesses are backing up. Mendoza filed a suit against the city and O'Grady seeking damages of over $1 million.

But the union is defending Mendoza, saying he was harassed by police in the days leading up to his arrest and that they tried to "intimidate" him by driving past his home and making phone calls to his house. Union board member Marvin Jacobs said, "Psychologically [Mendoza's] a wreck... he was doing his job when he was attacked. It was unprovoked and it was brutal." Mendoza is currently out on a $50,000 bond, but has not returned to work.