By Angela Rozas
Tribune reporter
CHICAGO, Ill. — An off-duty Chicago police officer was legally drunk when he damaged a bar and later struck two Forest Park officers and a paramedic Saturday night, police in the west suburb said Monday.
Forest Park police arrested Richard Schmidt, 25, an Englewood District patrol officer, after he allegedly jumped onto tables, breaking them, at Slainte Irish Pub, 7505 Madison St., said Forest Park Deputy Chief Thomas Aftanas.
Schmidt became combative and struck two officers after he was taken to the Forest Park police station, said John Gorman of the Cook County state’s attorney’s office. Schmidt elbowed one officer in the face and attacked a sergeant, Aftanas said. Police used a Taser on one of Schmidt’s legs to subdue him, he said.
Police called paramedics for Schmidt, who was bloodied from the altercation, but he allegedly spit blood in a paramedic’s face and struck him, Gorman said.
Schmidt was treated at Oak Park Hospital, where it was determined that his blood-alcohol level exceeded 0.08, the legal limit if he had been driving, Aftanas said.
Neither the officers nor the paramedic was seriously injured, Aftanas said.
Schmidt was charged with four counts of aggravated battery and criminal damage to property, police said. He appeared in court Monday and was ordered held on $10,000 bail.
Copyright 2008 The Chicago Tribune