Chicago cop faces new charges in filmed beating
CHICAGO — Prosecutors announced 14 additional charges yesterday against a Chicago police officer whose videotaped beating of a female bartender was shown repeatedly.Anthony Abbate, a 12-year department veteran, was charged with seven counts of official misconduct, one count of communicating with a witness, three counts of intimidation and three counts of conspiracy.
Abbate, 38, still faces an earlier felony charge of aggravated battery. He is scheduled to be arraigned on the new charges, all felonies, on May 16.
The charges stem from an alleged beating on February 19 at a tavern. Authorities say the off-duty officer assaulted bartender Karolina Obrycka, 24, after she refused to serve Abbate any more drinks.
Video from a surveillance camera at the tavern shows a man who police said is the 250 pound Abbate punching, beating and throwing the 115-pound woman to the ground.
The videotape was subsequently released to the media. The incident is another black eye to the department, which critics have said is out of control amid reports that another videotape showed six officers beating up four businessmen.
In Abbate’s case, police announced in March that they were investigating allegations that someone may have tried to bribe or threaten the bartender after the allegedly beating.
Abbate appeared in court briefly yesterday for a previously scheduled status hearing, when prosecutors told the judge they had filed a superseding indictment to the original assault charge. Abbate’s attorney, Peter Hickey, said he was angry because he had found out from the media that there were new charges, and told reporters after the hearing that he did not know what the charges were.
