Nurse got arrested after pulling cop from burning car

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-federal_jury_verdictjun13,0,4630555.story

Chicago and police officers lose case and $7.7 million for false arrest

Woman pulled cop from wrecked car in 2002, but police said she stole service weapon

By Monique Garcia and David Heinzmann | Tribune reporters
11:07 PM CDT, June 12, 2008

A trained nurse, Rachelle Jackson immediately ran toward the sound of the crash. A Chicago police car had collided with another vehicle and was starting to smoke, two officers still inside. Fearing an explosion, she quickly pulled one officer from the passenger side.She never imagined her act of kindness nearly six years ago would land her in jail for more than 10 months on charges that she robbed, battered and disarmed a peace officer.

Jackson filed a lawsuit, and on Thursday a federal jury found against the city and several Chicago police officers, awarding Jackson $7.7 million for false arrest, malicious prosecution, coercive questioning and intentional infliction of emotional distress. snip

Instead, Jackson was accused of the theft. She was held for two days with little food and water and was threatened with violence until she agreed to sign a statement police had prepared for her. She was then charged and spent more than 10 months in the Cook County Jail awaiting trial.

[laylah]

1. WTF is wrong with people? nt

[gasperc]

2. what an insane case

and what happended to a speedy trial, 10 months in jail? What was the bond?

[undeterred]

3. WTF is wrong with the police?

[file83]

45. They are criminals - they had to be protecting something with their strong "offense"

When bullshit happens, there's always a reason.

[berni_mccoy]

4. Wow. You just can't make this shit up.

[opihimoimoi]

5. Was Race a part of the story?? Just askin....

[madrchsod]

19. there`s a reall good chance the cops were white

a lot depends on the district

[bean fidhleir]

51. I'd bet so. Rachelle is from the southside, which at least *was* the Black ghetto

and, while names aren't an entirely reliable guide, "Kelly Brogan" sure sounds unmixed Mick to me.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Mist]

7. What's the "take away" from this? Don't rescue cops? nt

[Crunchy Frog]

8. I guess Chicago police must like the idea of being left in burning cars.

What sort of dumb schmuck would lift a finger to help a police officer after this?

[Indenturedebtor]

13. Seriously, and I don't even want to call them to help me

I might end up being the perp in their eyes. They always treat you like a criminal no matter what.

[tuckessee]

9. I can't wait to hear the cop bunnies explain away this one. n/t

[noonwitch]

10. The Chicago Police make the Detroit Police look downright honest

My brother was driving me, my sister and my mom from Grand Rapids to O'Hare, and we got pulled over on the Dan Ryan-he was driving 55 in a 50 zone, and hadn't seen the sign when we got on the Dan Ryan from the Skyway. The cop asked my brother if he had a bail bond on him, and my brother said no. The cop then told him he hoped my brother like bologna sandwiches, because that's what they are serving in jail. My brother told him, man, I'm just driving my mom and my sisters to the airport. The cop asked him if that was his mom in the car, and when my brother said yes, he let him go.

He was shaking my brother down for a bribe, until he realized his mom was with him.

[MadHound]

11. Moral of the story, let 'em burn.

Yes I know that sounds coldhearted and cruel, but really now, what else can you take away from it? If you're going to do the humane thing, the right thing, and then lose ten months of your life because of it, people are going to take a look at this and say what I just did, let 'em burn.

People bemoan the lack of trust and fear of the police that the public has, but the police have brought these attitudes on themselves. The police need to re-adapt the attitude that they are public servants rather than guards at an outdoor insane asylum. Then they could win back the publics' trust and help, but until then matters will only continue to go downhill, helped by stupid shit like this.

[LeftyMom]

12. Note to self: if you see a cop in need of help, keep walking. nt

[dana_b]

14. that's such bullshit

I'm a nurse too and this does hit a nerve. I hope she didn't lose her license while she was incarcerated.

I've seen people in the "real" world who have had issues and have tried to help. I will say though that I always ask them (if they are lucid and awake) "may I help you?" before I touch them. If they aren't awake, you just help them. I'm sure there was no time for such niceities with the threat of an exploding car, but that little question can save you a big headache if the person is alert. I also know MDs and RNs who won't speak up or run to help in these situations because there have been so many lawsuits against medical professionals when they try to help outside of their actual work.

[madrchsod]

15. one million is for staying in the hell hole of the cook county jail

not quite as bad as abu ghraib but close......

[tsuki]

16. I don't understand the ten months in jail awaiting trial. nt

[madrchsod]

18. it`s cook county

if they wanted to one could disappear in the system longer than that. she probaly could`t find or hire a lawyer to represent her so she may used the defenders office which takes at least ten months to a year....

[varkam]

22. That's fairly typical with felony cases. eom

[backscatter712]

17. Those pigs should have their lives ruined.

This story should follow them to their dying days.

They should be completely unable to find any job better than flipping burgers because of their record.

Their wives and kids should leave them, they should lose everything.

They should blow their own brains out because their lives are so miserable.

Fucking pigs.

[underseasurveyor]

20. words fail

talk about ingrate cops!

[Canuckistanian]

21. Well, now I know what to do when I see a cop burning in Chicago

How in the world can cops expect to be trusted when they show none themselves?

Unbelievable.

[nichomachus]

23. At least she didn't get charged with murder

About 20 years ago, when I lived in Massachusetts, there was a fire one night in the city where I was living. While at the scene, a cop collapsed. A young Latino guy saw him fall and ran over, realized he wasn't breathing, and started CPR. The other cops didn't see the first guy -- who was in his 20s -- collapse. They ran over, pulled the Latino guy off the cop, and with no further investigation, charged him with assault and murder of a police officer.

The autopsy later showed that the cop had a serious congenital heart disease and had died from a massive heart attack.

[truedelphi]

24. Ur-r-r-gh!! n/t

[Zodiak]

25. I do not like and do not trust cops

Funny because I was raised to do both.

But my experience has taught me otherwise.

I know one or two good cops, and even they warn me not to trust the cops other than them.

[tblue37]

26. The theft prosecution makes no sense at all. In the middle of an emergency, while saving

the cop's life, how would the nurse have had time to steal the gun and hide it where no one could possibly find it? She was with the cop the whole time, as I understand it. If the others thought she had stolen the gun, didn't they search her to see if she had it?

Am I right to believe that the cop herself might get into some sort of trouble for a missing weapon? If so, might she have accused the rescuer of theft in order to cover her own ass for losing the gun or allowing it to be stolen?

As for that business about the nurse putting the cop into a "full nelson" hold--I call BS. It's not as though cops have never lied about the behavior of one of their victims when their brutality or corruption comes to light. I am thinking of the "combative" diabetic man who was Tased 3 times as he slumped over the wheel of his car, as well as of many of the other cases I have been collecting in a folder on my computer labeled “Police Brutality.”

[NNN0LHI]

27. The reason she got $7.7M for false arrest is because others looked at this logically as you did

I am glad we have people who can do that.

Don

[mainegreen]

28. An expensive lesson for Chicago. n/t

[Lydia Leftcoast]

29. This gives new meaning to the term "ungrateful wretch"

"Next time I'll just let you burn up, okay?"

[frylock]

30. defense attorney andrew hale can fuck off and die..

piece of shit.

[tom_paine]

31. How much you want to bet she was African-American?

n/t

[opihimoimoi]

32. I asked that earlier....but where are their pictures/names???

This is insane....now, as the thread shows, peeps not gonna rescue cops...let um burn...pity

[tom_paine]

34. Yep. You think I want to loose 10 months of my life and go through a lawsuit trial,

wasting another 10 months?

Hell NO! And even though I am white, reducing the chance they would do something like that to me, I dare not take the chance.

"Sorry, Coppie, I guess it's just your time."

I'll never forget the first time I saw a cop lie under oath, and having witnessed the event I was 100% certain he was lying. 100%. There could be no mistake.

It shatters the hell out of a person's worldview.

[opihimoimoi]

42. ME ism....Me first...fuck all others....I want MINE...fuck you....this is how many of them THINK/ACT

Its them ME Fellas

[gulfcoastliberal]

33. And people think cops would hesitate to round up their neighbors under martial law?

That's a laugh! The sadistic nazi fucks would love shipping their neighbors off to the federal concentration camps. They are scumbags for sure!

[tom_paine]

36. Not all of them, but a substantial minority of them, maybe a majority of them.

Believe you me, that's plenty to keep the ones with misgivings in line, especially if the orders came from authority, like the Bushies.

[Selatius]

38. I have seen a lot of police abuse in my time, but this case is outrageous

The jury was fine in awarding such a large sum. Cases like this will only build even more mutual distrust between police forces and communities.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

44. Remember Bosnia and Rwanda: People massacred neighbors with whom

they'd lived peacefully for year.

[lonestarnot]

35. C students in charge. Can we expect more?

[Ilsa]

39. Precisely! The most dumbed-down scum has been setting the tone

in this country for the last eight years. The soldiers at Abu Ghraib followed their example, as did the rapist contractors in Iraq, the destroyers of evidence, and anyone else who carries authority and a badge and worships those scumbags. The C students are either too stupid or too mean to realize the affect of their amoral leadership.

[lonestarnot]

43. Applicants are denied if they are better than C students as they can "think" rather than take orders

Disgusting.

[tencats]

37. The jury found in favor of Rachelle on six claims, as follows

Federal False Arrest - $150,000.00
State False Arrest - $250,000.00
Coercive Questioning - $500,000.00
Length of Confinement - $1,000,000.00
Malicious Prosecution - $2,000,000.00
Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress - $4,000,000.00.

“Officer Brogan’s attempt to jail a woman who rescued her and the
detectives that encouraged Brogan to do so reflects the integrity of the
Chicago Police Department,” said Daniel Alexander, lead attorney
representing Rachelle.

[LisaL]

40. As they say, no good deed should go unpunished.

[Sultana]

41. .

:wtf:

[HardWorkingDem]

46. Can someone please post a link to a more detailed report on this?

thanks...

[DFW]

48. Here you go:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-federal_jury_verdictjun13,0,4630555.story

[Rex]

47. Stupid cops deserve to find work elsewhere.

Woman saves cop and ends up getting tortured like a dog. WTF America?

[DeSwiss]

49. Chicago has the worst police department....

...with the stupidest cops that I have ever seen. Between Illinois and Texas, there have been more reversals and exonerations of verdicts imposing the death penalties (cases initiated by the Innocence Project), than all of the other states COMBINED.

- K&R!!!

[ellisonz]

50. I say the pigs got off easy. I hope at least a dozen had their employment terminated.

Hell, some of them should probably see jail time.

[davidpdx]

52. The city wasted a lot of money on the wrongful arrest of someone

Not only the $7.7 million dollar judgment, but figure in the amount of money it took to prosecute her. If I was a taxpayer in Chicago, I'd be pissed at the city.