Police officer charged with battery, security video shows him shoving 8th grader

WLS, LAW OFFICE OF JORDAN MARSH, CNN

By Leah Hope

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    CHICAGO, Illinois (WLS) — A Chicago police officer has been charged with aggravated battery after video showed him shoving a student outside Gresham Elementary School.

CPD Officer Lancaster is the defendant in a federal civil rights lawsuit filed on behalf of the then 14-year-old boy, JaQuwaun Williams.

“He’s assaulted and all he does is back away with his arms up like, ‘what did I do?'” Williams’ attorney Jordan Marsh said. “You can see exactly how he responds. He’s just a sweet kid and now he is going to have to deal with this.”

Marsh provided the surveillance video from outside the school that shows the May 18 altercation.

Williams is the student involved. Marsh said the teen had never seen Officer Lancaster and did not know why the man put hands on him.

“How are people supposed to respect police officers when you have guys like Lancaster running around throttling people children for no reason?” Marsh said.

The defense attorney for Officer Lancaster, Timothy Grace, issued a statement on the lawsuit.

“….when the minor child became a danger to the students and the staff. He acted in a manner to protect the children and staff from a student who clearly was a threat to all present…. We look forward to defending this case in court,” the statement read.

Marsh said the video does not show any danger to the public.

The matter is being investigated by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability. Chicago police said Lancaster was relieved of his police powers Thursday.

He is due in court next week to face the criminal charge.

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