Paralyzed Man Brutalized by Chicago Police
Civil Rights, Police Misconduct, Police Officers 10/10/2018bhorwitz
In 2008, attorney Blake Horwitz represented Daniel Casares, who is a quadriplegic, in a lawsuit filed in federal court after his civil rights were violated by multiple Chicago police officers. As described by the Chicago Tribune, several officers brutalized Mr. Casares but then lied about the entire encounter in attempts to frame Mr. Casares as the unlikely aggressor.
As originally reported by ABC News, in 2006, Mr. Casares was in a car with his brother when Chicago police pulled them over near their home. When officers asked Mr. Casares to exit the vehicle, he informed them at least four different times that he was paralyzed and unable to do so. Officers proceeded to drag Mr. Casares from the car and kicked and punched him as he screamed: “I’m paralyzed, I’m paralyzed, I can’t move.” Mr. Casares was then taken to the hospital for his injuries and charged with battery and resisting arrest.
Yet arresting officers gave a very different rendition of the beating in court. According to the Chicago Sun Times, officers claimed that Mr. Casares somehow attacked them even though he can’t move his arms or legs. One officer even changed her story upon claiming Mr. Casares had punched her in the right eye when she initially said it was her left eye with bruising and swelling.
The case ultimately settled with the City of Chicago for $75,000.
If you or someone you know share a similar story as Mr. Casares , contact The Blake Horwitz Law Firm at (312) 676-2100 or office@bhlfattorneys.com. Read more about this case below:
- ABC News, “Paralyzed man sues Chicago Police Dept.”
- Chicago Sun Times, “How Could Quadriplegic Punch Cop?”
- Chicago Tribune, “Chicago cops beat me, paralyzed man says”
- Fox News, “Paralyzed man says Chicago cops dragged, beat him”
