You can see the bruises all over the body of James Spidle.
He says the officers went on the attack, but they're trying to put the blame on another patient. CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker says he now plans to sue.
"This shouldn't happen to nobody else," Spidle says.
The 55-year-old heart patient choked back tears as he described the beating he says sustained Monday morning.
Spidle blames Stroger hospital police officers for the scratches and bruises on his arm, hands, neck and knees. He says there are more you can't see, but medical records indicate his ribs were bruised.
"It hurts for me to breathe. They stomped me in my chest," he says.
Spidle says he was on his way to a doctor's appointment at Stroger, walking through the revolving doors when a man in front of him began shouting at a woman behind him. That's when one of the officers screamed at him and asked for his identification, Spidle says.
Spidle says when he refused to show his ID the officers began to attack him, even after he yelled he was a heart patient. He says at one point they used the string from his bag to choke him.
Spidle was hospitalized for two days because of his injuries.
Stroger officials say police officers have a different version of the story.
"On Monday there was an altercation involving James Spidle and another visitor at the hospital," a hospital statement said. "Stroger hospital police interceded in the altercation. The hospital is currently conducting an internal investigation of the entire incident."
Spidle says the hospital's surveillance video will prove his version. CBS 2 asked to see the video, but the hospital declined.
Spidle says he'd like to see the security officers face criminal charges. He's filed a complaint with the hospital, as well as with Chicago police.
Source:CBS NEWS
0 comments:
Post a Comment