(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — An Oak Lawn police officer, who faces felony charges for the alleged beating of a 17-year-old boy who ran from a traffic stop in July 2022, appeared in court for arraignment and a bond hearing Wednesday.
The gallery in the small courtroom was packed with Oak Lawn police officers, in uniform, who spilled out into the hallway.
Officer Patrick O'Donnell's attorney, James McKay, said O'Donnell's actions were "consistent with his use-of-force training" and added that it's "absolutely outrageous" he was charged with aggravated battery and official misconduct.
A prosecutor said he punched Hadi Abuatelah more than 10 times in the face while two other officers were holding him.
Mohammad Sankari, with the Arab American Action Network, was in court.
"If officers are trained that while two other adults are restraining a child, you grab their hair and repeatedly punch them in the face, break their nose, fracture their pelvis and cause internal bleeding in their brain — what is wrong with policing in this state?" Sankari said.
O'Donnell's lawyer said Abuatelah was trying to get at a gun that was in a bag around his chest and had he been successful he may have shot the officers.
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