Six More Cops Suspended In Brutality Probe

By Chuck Sudo in News on Oct 19, 2010 1:00PM

The investigation into a police brutality probe widened yesterday with the announcement that six more police officers have been stripped of their duties, raising the number of officers reprimanded in connection to the case to seven.

The Police Department hasn't released any details related to the case, but NBC Chicago reports that one of the department's street cameras may have caught the incident on tape, in which the sergeant at the center of the investigation allegedly punched the suspect in the face at 79th and Vincennes. Another officer, a woman, slapped the alleged victim hard enough to knock his hat off his head.

A police source says the man who was handcuffed is a relative of an Independent Police Review Authority board member. The review authority investigates incidents of police misconduct. To further complicate matters, the same source said that witnesses to the incident aren't talking for fear of retribution by police. One reason for the suspensions is so that any witnesses to the incident can see the Police Department is taking the allegations seriously and cooperate with investigators.