Forum/Discussions

Nothing is more compelling that police misconduct and
torture continue then the case of Cassander Feuerstein a 47 year old
mother of two. A White female from Chicago she was pulled over by Skokie
police and taken into police custody for allegedly drunk while driving.
What is clearly seen in a video tape is that she was not disorderly,
rude, nor violent toward any of the officers according to the tape in
which Skokie police provided to her attorney Torri Hamilton who have
sued the Village in wake of Feuerstein being shoved inside a jail cell
inside the police station and hitting her face against a concrete bed
which was located in the rear of the cell. What remains unclear is why
would Officer Michael Hart from the Skokie police department use force
toward a female prisoner that never provoked him. If Officer Hart felt
threaten why would he be seen shoving Feuerstein from behind. She was
not provoking as is what is seen in the video.

Officer
Hart must be held accountable for breaking nearly every bone in the face
area of Feuerstein as she hit her head down against a concrete brick
bench that is used by prisoners to sleep on inside the tiny cell. This
is a officer that must be held accountable and I called the Skokie
Village this week seeking answers. I was informed that it could not be
confirmed if the case was under investigation and that all complaints of
police misconduct is handled by the Chief of Skokie Police Anthony
Scarpelli and that all cases where that a officer is placed on
administrative level must be handled by the chief of police. Feuerstein
filed a complaint against Officer Hart and he attempted to have her
arrested for resisting a peace officer. Officer Hart claims were
dismissed against Feuerstein by the Cook County State's Attorney Office
under the administration of Anita Alvarez.

In the call
to Skokie officials we attempted to learn if Officer Hart would be
brought up for disciplinary action and learned that is a decision for
the Chief of Police and Fire/Police Commission for the Village, but a
media spoke person for the Village informed me that she was not informed
of any disciplinary action being filed against Officer Hart and that if
the community desired to comment on the case it would need to be done
in writing to the commission. She stated that the fire/police commission
for the village would not be meeting on October 21, 2013 and that she
was not aware when the new date will be set. Skokie is ten minutes away
from Chicago who have seen one of the biggest police torture scandal for
over 42 years under the command of Jon Burge.

On
Monday a letter will be prepared and submitted to the Village of Skokie
requesting that Officer Hart be placed on administrative level pending
the results of a investigation into this case. Upon probable cause that
Officer Hart violated Feuerstein civil and criminal rights as a U.S.
citizen in that letter we are also calling for this officer to be fired
and prosecuted for what appears to be a clear case of a officer crossing
the line and taking the law into his own hand. This kind of conduct
must not be accepted. This is how police misconduct and other crimes by
police spread into systematic abuse. Lets stop it now with the
termination of this officer from the Skokie police force immediately.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/10/woman-thrown-face-first-into-concrete-slab-sues-cops/

http://youtu.be/jqhefrPzCnY

http://skokie.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/lawyer-skokie-cop-victims-face-split-open


Updates will follow from this case.

People you review the tape and make a judgment as to this case. Get involved. Write to:

Anita Alvarez
Cook County State's Attorney
2650 S. California Ave.
Chicago, IL 60608

DEMAND: that criminal charges be brought against Michael Hart of the Skokie police Department.

 Mark A. Clements