Bodycam video shows a Waukegan police officer threw a handcuffed suspect to the ground
By: Officer Richard Tabisz was charged last week with two counts of felony official misconduct and two counts of misdemeanor battery in connection with the incident.
On Thursday, in response to a public records request, Waukegan police released body camera footage showing Tabisz throwing down a handcuffed suspect in front of several other officers.
Waukegan police have said, on the afternoon of Dec. 14, officers had arrested a suspect for domestic battery and violating an order of protection.
Lake County prosecutors said the suspect had been in custody for several minutes before Tabisz arrived as the transport officer. Police said officers were handing the suspect off to Tabisz because his squad car was better equipped to take him to lockup.
The video shows the suspect's hands behind his back as Tabisz begins walking him to his squad car. When the suspect stopped walking before reaching the officer's squad car, Tabisz threw him to the ground, causing the suspect to fall hard on his back on a paved driveway.
"Oh, you fell, dude. Why'd you fall? Why'd you fall? Get up," Tabisz can be heard telling the suspect, groaned on the ground.
"I'm gonna sue you, m*********er," the suspect could be heard telling Tabisz before Tabisz and a second officer help him get up and walk to the squad car.
Moments later, as officers are placing the suspect in Tabisz's squad car, an officer can be heard saying, "Are you still crying? Stop crying, you stupid m*********er."
Lake County State's Attorney Erc Rinehart has said as many as seven officers were on the scene at the time, and the suspect was cooperating with police before Tabisz threw him down.
"The situation was completely under control. Tabisz was not the arresting officer and threw the handcuffed civilian to the ground in the presence of several officers. Besides Tabisz, other officers on the scene acted very professionally throughout the encounter. We will hold individuals accountable for breaking the law regardless of their profession," Rinehart said after Tabisz was charged last week.
Police said the suspect, whose name has not been released, was charged with domestic battery.
The State's Attorney's Office said it began a review of all pending cases involving Tabisz in light of the charges against him.
Tabisz is due to make his first court appearance on Jan. 17, and has been placed on administrative leave.