A Chicago police officer accused of sexually abusing a handcuffed detainee on the Close to North police station was discovered not responsible of all legal prices on Monday after a bench trial that centered on surveillance video, the lady’s statements, and the power of the prosecution’s proof.
Decide Adrienne Davis, who oversaw the trial, mentioned she believed Officer Stephan Shaw’s conduct was at the least “inappropriate,” including that Chicago residents “deserve higher.” However Davis concluded prosecutors didn’t meet their burden of proving past an inexpensive doubt that Shaw’s habits within the Close to North (18th) District’s processing space amounted to a criminal offense.
Prosecutors charged Shaw in April 2024 with felony counts of sexual abuse, battery, and official misconduct. He was assigned to the Close to North station at 1160 North Larrabee Road on the time of the Could 22, 2023, incident.
Based on the state’s allegations, Shaw was among the many officers who introduced a then-22-year-old girl to the station after she was detained for shoplifting within the downtown space. Following customary process, officers handcuffed her left wrist to a metallic bar within the holding space whereas they accomplished paperwork. The lady sat alone on a metallic stool whereas Shaw allegedly approached her cell doorway a number of occasions, requested sexually suggestive questions, and made feedback about her buttocks.
Prosecutors mentioned Shaw requested the lady if she would let him “hit it,” then requested whether or not he might contact her buttocks. The lady mentioned he touched her inappropriately whereas pretending to regulate her handcuffs. Cameras within the processing space confirmed Shaw standing within the doorway for lengthy stretches and getting into the holding cell, the place he moved out of the digicam’s view.
Earlier than the lady was launched, Shaw used his telephone to seek for her Fb profile. Officers mentioned she later messaged him on the platform to ask for the police station’s handle and her court docket date as a result of she couldn’t find her paperwork. Shaw responded by asking in the event that they have been nonetheless going to get pizza, and she or he replied with a coronary heart emoji.
After his arrest final 12 months, the Chicago Police Division relieved Shaw of his police powers. He’s presently assigned to a unit that handles non-emergency police reviews over the telephone. The outcomes of an investigation launched by the Civilian Workplace of Police Accountability haven’t been introduced.
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