Retired Cop Accused Of Beating Three Women After Pride Parade
By Kate Shepherd in News on Dec 9, 2015 7:42PM
Retired Chicago mounted police officer William Szura was known for being a people person who frequently took his beloved horse Petey to events, parades and schools throughout the city.
Despite his friendly reputation, Szura is facing a lawsuit for allegedly beating three women during an off-duty road-rage incident following working at the Gay Pride Parade in 2007, according to the Tribune. He allegedly physically attacked the women, used anti-gay slurs and drew his gun without identifying himself as a cop.
In their lawsuit, the women—Kelly Fuery, 44, Debra Sciortino, 40, and Nicole Tomaskovic, 33—alleged the city's system for investigating and disciplining police officers was so broken that it allows rogue cops to act with impunity because they know they'll go unpunished.
"(Expletive) bitch!" He could be heard yelling at one of the three women in a 911 call before threatening to "knock your (expletive) head," according to court records. "You wanna fight?"
Shockingly, Szura was treated as the victim at the scene and the three women were all charged with battery at the time. They were later acquitted by a Cook County judge who didn't believe Szura's account of the incident.
Szura testified in court on Tuesday that Fuery struck him first and slapped him in the face. Then all three women jumped on him.
"They were hitting me, slapping me, and I was trying to cover up," Szura testified. "I was hurting pretty bad the next day."
A state police trooper and two of his superiors are also on trial for their alleged roles in how the incident was handled after they responded to Szura's emergency call of an officer needing help.
The Independent Police Review Authority spent four years investigating the incident and cleared Szura of any wrongdoing.
The timing of the court hearing in this case is not good for the city or the Chicago Police Department, which is currently battling an unprecedented image crisis following the release of the Laquan McDonald shooting video and a subsequent federal probe in the police force.