Big, Bad Cop Beats Up Son's Classmate

Chicago police officer Robert Gallegos, a 10-year veteran of the force was arrested for assaulting a teenage boy on Saturday. Bond for Gallegos was set at $100,000 on Sunday during an appearance via closed-circuit television at the Cook County Courthouse.

The officer allegedly beat a 15-year-old who had been involved in a verbal altercation with the officer’s teenage son. The two children are students at Juarez High School and were apparently involved in a verbal altercation on Wednesday.

In what appears to have been a premeditated attack. Gallegos ambushed the boy off school grounds in an alleyway throwing the boy against a garage, breaking his jaw, and then proceeded to kick the boy as he lay helpless on the ground.

Local prosecutors reported that the boy suffered multiple bruises, and his jaw was wired shut at an area hospital.

A complaint was filed with police on Thursday, and after an investigation by the department's Office of Professional Standards, Gallegos was arrested Saturday. Prosecutors said Gallegos was accompanied by someone else during the attack but refused to identify the person or to elaborate on possible pending charges.

"Investigating allegations of police misconduct is never an easy task, but when investigators have the cooperation of the public, the evidence and the statements can be quickly evaluated to ensure, when appropriate, the officer is off the streets and the investigation can continue to move forward," acting OPS Administrator Michael Duffy said in a release.

This is the latest in a string of off-duty beatings by Chicago Police Officers that have received public attention. Several police officers have been charged with attacking civilians in recent months, including two high-profile beatings at Chicago bars.

Having grown up in Chicago, I know from experience it is common for officers in the city to act like bullies and beat up on little boys. At age 10 I was hit in the stomach with a billy club for calling out for my parents when two undercover officers, allegedly searching for a robbery suspect, stormed the front gate of our house while I played on the front porch.

On another occasion a few years later, I was attacked by a Chicago police officer when a wild pitch during a snowball fight with friends hit a passing patrol car. Although I was apologetic for being careless and did not try to flee the scene the officer ripped two hands of hair from my head as he repeatedly slammed me into the trunk of his car.

I was once told by a Chicago officer that “everyone in this city gets beat down at least once.”  

Although it is great to see the quick response by OPS to this incident, I believe it is because of the large amount of publicity surrounding the other recent beatings caught on video tape, and not a change of attitude within the department.

Anthony Abbate, a 12-year department veteran, pleaded not guilty earlier this month to charges of severely beating bartender Karolina Obrycka on Feb. 19 at Jesse's Shortstop Inn Tavern when she refused to serve him any more drinks.

The attack was caught on surveillance videotape and is cited by many as the reason for the resignation of police Supt. Philip Cline.

In a separate case, three other Chicago police officers have been charged with attacking four businessmen at another bar in December.

Sgt. Jeffrey Planey and officers Paul Powers and Gregory Barnes have been charged with aggravated battery in the incident. Planey was also charged with obstruction of justice and official misconduct for allegedly sending away other officers who responded to the bar fight.

That fight was also caught on surveillance video, but in an effort to prevent further harm to the department’s image, the video has not been released to the public.