Thursday 18 August 2022 11:10 PM Chicago cop charged with kneeling on Puerto Rican teen's back in what's called ... trends now
Chicago Police Sergeant Michael Vitellaro, 49, was charged with official misconduct and aggravated battery for roughing up a teenager he thought stole his son's bike
A Chicago police sergeant was charged Thursday with misconduct and aggravated battery for kneeling on the back of a Puerto Rican teenager after suspecting the boy of stealing his son's bike in an incident that was caught on camera.
Sgt. Michael Vitellaro, 49, surrendered to police in connection with the July 1 incident outside a Starbucks in Park Ridge, police in the Chicago suburb said.
The boy, Josh Nieves, was not injured in the incident, but his parents are calling the incident a bias crime.
'We see the bias of an off-duty cop, taking advantage of our brown boy with Afro hair, smaller in stature, choosing to take the law into his own hands with physical force,' his mother Nicole Nieves told WGN 9.
On the day in question, Vitellaro's son's bike had been stolen and the sergeant tracked it down to a Starbucks cafe where he watched it waiting for the thief to return.
The incident began when the teen, who had one hand on his own bike, began moving another bike that was blocking his path. That's when the officer confronted him, Antonio Romanucci, a lawyer for the teen's family, said.
An off-duty Chicago police officer is under investigation for pinning a 14-year-old boy to the ground, after accusing the youngster of stealing a bicycle that belonged to the man's own son
The incident, which transpired Friday in Park Ridge, a predominantly white suburb just outside of Chicago, saw the officer press his knee on the youngster's back after forcing him to the floor. The incident was captured on film - and has since sparked outrage from the boy's family
The cop, who has yet to be identified, was confirmed to be an off-duty officer for the city's police department by officials who spoke to DailyMail.com Monday
The cop, who is dressed in shorts and a bright blue jacket in the footage, restrained Nieves
