A Chicago Police Department lieutenant allegedly shoved a flashlight into the butt of a handcuffed teenager.
The incident took place on the evening of February 9th after a 16-year-old and 17-year-old carjacked a man at gunpoint and took his Mazda. The 17-year-old, identified in court documents only as “Z.K.,” surrendered to Lt. Wilfredo Roman and other officers in an alley after attempting to scale a fence. Once the teen was handcuffed, he complained that the restraints were too tight. Roman told the teen to “shut up” before approaching him from behind and shoving the flashlight in between his clothed buttocks.
When the suspect yelled out in pain, Roman responded, “that’s what you get for carjacking.” The 21-year law enforcement veteran has been charged with aggravated battery and official misconduct. He surrendered to the department’s Bureau of Internal Affairs on Wednesday.
James McKay, the attorney representing Roman, downplayed his actions due to the lack of penetration from the flashlight.
“The movement of Lt. Roman is a split second, on the fleshiest part, outside of clothing, with absolutely no injury whatsoever. This is a spank, or a spanking, for the love of God. I’ve had nuns that treated me far worse when I was a kid,” McKay proclaimed during Thursday’s bond hearing.
Roman was allowed to go free on his own recognizance. In July, he was stripped of his responsibilities. The cop has been the subject of at least 40 citizen complaints during his two-decade career, including charges of excessive force and wrongful arrests. Roman has also been sued three times for misconduct.
