CHICAGO (CN) - Chicago police arrested a 15-year-old boy, beat him up and denied him food and water for a day when he said he knew nothing about a murder, the teen claims in court.
Antonio Collins and his mother sued Chicago, Police Dets. Otto and Hill (first names unknown), and other unidentified officers in Federal Court.
The complaint states: "In early March of 2013, plaintiff was at home in Rolling Meadows with his mother, Earleen Abron, when three Chicago Police Department detectives showed up unannounced at the house at approximately 10:30 p.m.
"When the detectives arrived they immediately grabbed plaintiff, handcuffed him, and read him his rights."
His mother gave them permission to search his room, and they did, Collins says. They put him in their cruiser and drove him to Area 2 headquarters on the South Side of Chicago.
There, Otto and Hill put him in an interrogation room and "asked plaintiff if he knew why he was there, and if he had something to do with a murder that took place the prior October in the vicinity of 79th and Union streets in Chicago. Plaintiff told them he had no involvement in the murder," the complaint states.
It adds: "The detectives asked plaintiff if he would agree to give a DNA sample and allow them to take his fingerprints so that they could clear him of any involvement in the crime, and plaintiff agreed.
"The detectives then left the room and returned a short while later, telling plaintiff that if he was lying he needed to tell him, and that this was the last time they would be questioning him. Plaintiff repeated that he had nothing to do with the murder."
After taking his DNA sample and fingerprints, the detectives took Collins to lockup, and one of them "told plaintiff that he was lying to them and that he was the killer and stated 'You're going to go down for this,'" the complaint states.
Collins adds: "While in this cell, a heavy African-American officer came into the cell and menacingly told plaintiff that plaintiff did not want him to bring a certain individual into his cell.
"Plaintiff asked this officer where his mother was, and the officer told him to 'Shut the fuck up.' The officer then threatened to strip him naked and beat him up, and as he left the cell told plaintiff 'If I have to come back, I'm stripping you naked.'
"This officer then came back into the cell and grabbed plaintiff, who struggled in fear for his safety.
"The officer was able to grab plaintiff by his neck and leg, then lifted him up and slammed him to the floor on his back.
"The officer then picked up plaintiff again, spun him around, and threw him down again.
"While plaintiff was on the cell floor writhing in pain, the officer took off plaintiff's shoes and threw them out of the cell, then left."
Police would not let his mother see him in the cell, Collins claims. He says he was released the next day at 10:30 p.m. after his fingerprints did not match what the police were looking for.
But not until one of the detectives told his mother that "her 'son was a piece of shit' and not to believe that he did not commit the murder," Collins claims.
"During the entire time plaintiff was at the police station, he was not provided with any food or water," he says in the complaint.
"That night an evidence technician drove out to their house and took photos of plaintiff.
"He told Ms. Abron that plaintiff was 'just a little roughed up' and discouraged her from taking plaintiff to the hospital," Collins adds.
He seeks punitive damages for excessive force, false arrest and imprisonment, battery, and assault.
He is represented by Kurt Feuer.
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