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Akyeame Kwame
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Afrikan Beaten to the Brink of Death in Chicago
I just wanted to send you the incident report concerning my case in an attachment. Feel free if you know any people in the media feild or network of contacts to pass it on. I am working on my end to at least try and get my story told.
Peace
Donald Edwards
P.O. Box 51515
Chicago, IL. 60651
donaldedwards100@hotmail.com
773-456-0181
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My name is Donald Edwards and I have been a victim of police brutality! This unjust and vicious crime was inflicted by the Melrose Park Police Department. I had my civil rights violated, was beaten viciously while handcuffed, pepper sprayed, stripped of my clothes, and arrested without warrant. I was detained uncharged for more than 24 hours and left bruised, bloody and medically unattended in a jail cell. When my lawyer arrived shortly after the incident, I was in and out of consciousness in a cell. He demanded for me to be rushed to the hospital. Only then was an ambulance called and I was transported to the Westlake hospital emergency room.
At 6:30 pm on May 23rd 2005, I was visiting my seventy-five year old mother, a prominent Reverend of the A.M.E church, at her senior citizens residence located at 1750 Riverwoods Drive, Melrose Park, IL, 60160. I was driving a 1980 Chevrolet Camaro when I pulled into the parking lot to meet her. I stopped by to say ‘Hello’ for a second, before I had to be on my way. I pulled into visitors parking, left my car running, walked over and greeted her while she exited her car. She wanted me to help walk her to the front door, so I did. When we got to the front door she wanted to sit and talk for a few minutes before she went inside. We sat on benches in front of her building. A few minutes past and three elderly ladies congregated in front of my vehicle while walking their dogs. One of the elderly ladies walked over to us and asked, “Is that your car?” We responded politely and said “Yes, is there something wrong?” She said, “No, but those women are just nosey and they are going to call the police. They don’t know whose car it is. So you’d better go and let them know and turn your car off.”
I left my car idling quietly in the visitor’s spot, with the radio off, because I only meant to meet with my mother outside for a very short period of time. I walked over to the visitors spot, turned off my car, locked the doors and started walking back towards my mother sitting on the bench. The two elderly women said, “Is that your car? Why is it on?” I said, “Sorry if there is a problem, have a goodnight.”
While I was walking back to my mother, an unmarked black SUV pulled up very fast and screeched to a stop close to me. I turned around and two white males and one white female jumped out and said, “Get your nigger ass down on the ground and put your hands behind your head!” I was very shocked and terrified that someone would say that to me. I threw my hands up over my head with open palms and said, “Hey, what is going on?” Then one of the W/M grabbed some pepper spray from his waist and pointed it toward my face and sprayed it while replying, “Get down on the ground nigger.” Natural reaction made me turn and run. I ran about 50 yards until I stumbled. I saw my mother get up and start toward me. I then laid down on the ground with my hands behind my back. When the offenders caught up to me they proceeded to put their knee on my neck and beat me with their closed fists. I heard my mother yell “Stop, Stop! What are you doing?!” I yelled for her to stay back so she would not get hurt, as I lay prone on the ground. The offenders continued to beat me on the ground ferociously. I was not resisting. I could hear my mother screaming saying Stop, Stop Please! The offenders continued to kick and beat me until a crowd started to appear. About the same time a Melrose Park police car arrived on the scene, later identified as officer Negron. As onlookers started to gather they picked me up and put me in officer Negron’s police car.
I saw one of the offenders scream at my mother saying “Get out of here!” He moved towards her as to push her and other onlookers grabbed her and moved her away from them. I could see from the back of the police car that the offenders started to look about on the ground by my car, as if to plant something. I heard someone say “Don’t plant anything we are watching you!” It seemed the offenders started to get nervous so they directed one of the officers, Negron, to transport me back to the station. While I was being transported officer Negron said “If I was there, I would have shot your nigger ass!” He also said “You are going to get yours when we get back to the station,” in a menacing voice. When I arrived at the station, there were two additional officers waiting for me. They chained me to the wall. I was chained and handcuffed until the other offenders got back to the station. These offenders were now identified as Lt. Rogowski, I/O Rodriguez, and I/O Shankle. The offenders unchained me from the wall and while I was still handcuffed slammed me unto a steel table, face first. The 6 offenders then commenced another brutal beating. One of the officers tried to twist my neck as if to break it, while the others grabbed hold of each appendage to pound and maim. The offender Lt. Rogowski yelled out, “You like to run from police officers, huh Nigger?!” The offenders beat me until I passed out on the table. When I revived I was being taken to a cell. While being dragged to a cell I was again slammed face first into a concrete wall by the offender Lt. Rogowski. I was knocked senseless and bloodily beaten by the hands of approximately six officers and I/O’s while at the station, seemingly on camera. There was a camera positioned above the table where the offenders beat and strangled me. The next thing I remember was my lawyer coming into my cell yelling for the officers to get medical attention. I was rushed to Westlake Hospital for treatment of my wounds and to take x-ray’s. At that time clothes were given to me to wear by the medical staff, I was only wearing my shorts. My right knee was immobilized from ligament damage sustained from the beating. At about 3:00 a.m., I was released from the hospital and placed back into a cell.
Twenty-four hours past without being allowed a meal, phone call, being charged with a crime, or being finger printed. With pressure on the department from my lawyer, I was finally processed, charged with battery to a police officer, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. I was released on bond approximately 9pm the next day. My car was impounded and I had a rare and expensive sterling silver moonstone pendant stolen from me by the offenders. Later that week my mother had to be admitted to the hospital for heart problems, triggered by the brutality from the Melrose Park Police Department.
These Offenders Lt. Rogowski, I/O Rodriquez, I/O Shankle, officer Negron and the Melrose Park Police Department are responsible for these apprehensible crimes and civil rights violations against me and my family. These offenders have caused me undue hardship, physical and personal pain, medical bills, job loss and most of all my freedom. They treated me less than a human being, tried to strip me of my dignity and basic rights as a citizen. The offending officers named in this complaint need to be investigated and brought to justice.
Donald Edwards
P.O. Box 51515
Chicago, IL. 60651
donaldedwards100@hotmail.com
773-456-0181
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Originally Posted by Sadiku
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