By Lolly Bowean
Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO — A 15-year-old special-needs student says a Dolton police officer assigned to his former school slammed him against the lockers, wrestled him to the floor and pinned him down, breaking his nose, all because he didn’t have his shirt tucked in, his family’s attorney said Wednesday.
Now that Marshawn Pitts’ parents have viewed the scuffle on videotape, they are considering litigation against the city of Dolton, the Academy for Learning in Dolton and Dolton police, said the attorney, Edward Manzke. The incident occurred in May after the unidentified officer scolded Pitts for not adhering to the dress code at the academy and sent him to the principal’s office, the attorney said.
“With most of these cases, there’s never any video,” Manzke said. “When a case comes with it, the video is especially enlightening. When you are talking about a 15-year-old, 140-pound kid, who was assaulted by a police officer, a tape helps establish the truth.”
Dolton Mayor Ronnie Lewis said the officer has been terminated, but claimed he does not know why.
Pitts’ family now lives in Chicago, and the teen is a student at Fenger High School, Manzke said. He was unavailable for comment on Wednesday.
Dolton Police Chief Robert Fox said he could not comment on the incident.
Officials with the academy issued a statement saying that “the physical restraint of a student sometimes becomes necessary. In such instances, AFL and its staff are committed to employing techniques that are safe, effective, and which conform to best practice standards.”
The teen’s family got a copy of the video from the school, Manzke said.
Copyright 2009 Chicago Tribune