Chicago Police cleared after footage show him beating handcuffed Rayshon Gartley in hospital

The Chicago Police Board has cleared a veteran police officer accused of mendacity to investigators after video surfaced showing to point out the officer punching a handcuffed man at a South Aspect Hospital almost seven years in the past.

In a 5-Three vote throughout its month-to-month assembly Thursday, the board handed a movement discovering Officer Clauzell Gause not responsible of creating a false assertion about his use of power and restoring him to his place.

The Civilian Workplace of Police Accountability had advisable final yr that Gause be fired for allegedly mendacity to investigators. He had additionally been hit with felony misconduct expenses, however these had been dropped by the Prepare dinner County state’ legal professional’s workplace in 2019.

The confrontation occurred June 3, 2014, when then-24-year-old Rayshon Gartley was taken to Jackson Park Hospital for a psychological well being analysis. Prosecutors stated Gause was seen on surveillance footage punching and shoving Gartley, who was restrained and handcuffed on the hospital.

Gause omitted from a report that Gartley was handcuffed when he punched him, in accordance with a doc outlining the costs. Gause additionally informed COPA investigators in an interview that he didn’t make contact with Gartley’s face or head, the doc states.

However hospital surveillance video allegedly captured Gause, who was in uniform, holding Gartley’s arms behind his again and shoving him in opposition to a wall, inflicting him to bounce again towards the officer, prosecutors stated. Gause then appeared to punch Gartley within the face with a closed fist.

Gartley filed a lawsuit in opposition to the town and Police Division in 2016. Information present the go well with was settled for $175,000 in 2018.

It was not the primary time Gause had been accused of misconduct whereas sporting a CPD uniform. Not less than 14 complaints have been filed in opposition to him, in accordance with the Residents Police Knowledge Venture.

Gause was additionally one among 11 Chicago law enforcement officials named in a federal lawsuit filed by Jerome James, who accused the officers of utilizing extreme power after he was arrested exterior a White Fort restaurant in December 2013.

In line with the go well with, James was throwing one thing in a garbage can exterior the restaurant in Rosemoor when officers who had been ready for meals took him into custody “with none possible trigger {that a} crime had been dedicated.”

Whereas James was being held on the Calumet District station, he requested the officers why he was being held, inflicting the officers to assault him, the lawsuit states.

The officers allegedly used “brass knuckles” to punch him within the face, hurled racial epithets at him and ripped the garments off his physique, leaving him bare for “a number of hours,” the go well with states.

James was taken to Roseland Neighborhood Hospital, however solely after one other detainee alerted a supervising officer that James wanted medical consideration, the go well with alleges.

Town settled the lawsuit for $60,000 in December 2015, information present.