Bodycam video shows Hazel Crest arrest of Uber driver
By: -----
Hazel Crest, IL - A routine stop on Valentine’s Day took a violent turn in Hazel Crest and now, newly surfaced body camera video is raising serious questions about police use of force.
What we know:
Uber driver Jason Young said he was simply trying to help a passenger withdraw cash from an ATM inside a Walgreens in Hazel Crest when the situation escalated without warning.
"What the f*** did I do to you, bro? This ATM just took my money, and you just came and slammed me on the ground," Young can be heard saying in the video.
Moments earlier, Young appears to be standing near the ATM, focused on his phone, seemingly trying to resolve an issue with the machine.
"The ATM just took my money," Jason Young said.
"You don’t kick an ATM," said the Hazel Crest police officer.
But within seconds, an officer rushes in, shouting commands.
"Put your hands behind your back… don’t you f*** move," the officer is heard saying.
Young insists the officer never identified himself and that he never saw him coming. The encounter happened on Valentine’s Day, a detail that hasn’t been lost on Young.
"It hurts. I was out here trying to do good, and that’s how you treat people," he said.
According to Young, he was in the middle of an Uber trip. His passenger only had digital currency and didn’t realize her makeup appointment required cash. Trying to help, he stopped at the ATM, but what should have been a quick errand quickly spiraled.
At one point during the confrontation, tensions boiled over.
"Shut up," the officer said in the video.
"No, I am not going to shut up," Young responded.
Young has since hired civil rights attorney Cannon Lambert, who said the video raises serious concerns.
"The officer didn’t observe anything. The only thing he observed is a man standing on his phone trying to find out about the money he was entitled to… then using force," Lambert said.
Lambert said his team has reached out to officials but is still waiting for answers.
"We did make contact with their attorneys… we want change in the way their officers conduct their business," he said.
He added, "There’s a training problem."
Walgreens employees, however, claim Young damaged the ATM—something Young disputes.
"You could hear the money trying to come through… and now it says out of order," Young said.
Despite the confrontation, Young was ultimately uncuffed, told to leave, and never charged. Uber also conducted its own investigation and found no wrongdoing. Young said he maintains nearly a perfect rating as a driver.
The Hazel Crest Police Department was notified of the incident involving one of its officers who responded to a call for a disturbance at the local Walgreens. The complainant reported that they believed the officer used inappropriate force during the interaction and filed a formal complaint.
Command staff met with the complainant, allowing them to give a detailed account of the incident and express their concerns. The complainant was assured that a thorough and impartial internal investigation would be conducted.
Upon completion of the investigation, command staff contacted the complainant to advise them of the findings. The internal investigation determined that the officer’s actions were not consistent with the policies or professional standards of the Hazel Crest Police Department.
Specifically, the level of force used and the nature of the interaction were deemed not appropriate given the circumstances encountered at the scene.
As a result, the officer was issued corrective discipline and required to complete additional training.
Now, as the bodycam video circulates, the focus is shifting to accountability—and whether this Valentine’s Day encounter crossed a line.
"Look closer at who you’re hiring… and do better," Young said.