The city of Chicago is set to shell out the big bucks to a victim who allegedly suffered violence at the hands of police.
Lawyers for local resident Patassa Johnson claim their client was badly beaten by Chicago Police Sgt. George Granias while in handcuffs after she was pulled over on the expressway for suspected drunk driving in 2014.
The beating was so severe that Johnson’s injuries, which included scratches and bruises, were documented on video by the Cook County Jail, according to CBS Chicago. The incident, which occurred in the 11th District police station, has since resulted in a federal lawsuit.
“She was beat up at the police station by a Chicago police sergeant because she was a vocal Black woman,” said Brendan Shiller, Johnson’s attorney.
More concerning, however, is the fact that Shiller’s legal team uncovered websites owned by Granias with racially offensive titles. They included domain names that began with the N-word, such as “n**gadown.com,” “niggerific,” and “Niggauns.” The sergeant’s websites also featured titles like “murdertech.com,” “necroarmy.com,” and an obvious jab at Illinois’ former governor, called “patquinnsucks.com.”
“His hobby is apparently buying names of racist websites,” Shiller said.
City officials haven’t confirmed if the websites belong to Granias, but Johnson’s attorney noted that “there’s been no denial that these websites were owned by the sergeant.”
That revelation ultimately led the city to settle Johnson’s case for $185,000, CBS Chicago reported, with all charges dropped against Johnson. The agreement must still be approved by the city council, however.
For Johnson, justice is scant, but a step in the right direction.
“He needs to be fired,” she told the news station. “If he’s fired, then I’m happy because I know he will not be able to do it to anyone else.”
Chicago police said they’ve launched an internal investigation into the sites reportedly owned by Granias.
