All charges dropped against Oak Lawn cop accused of using excessive force in teen's arrest
All charges have been dropped against an Oak Lawn police officer who was accused of using excessive force during the 2022 arrest of a teenager in the south suburb that was caught on video.
The charges were dismissed during a brief hearing Wednesday morning at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse, a day before a bench trial for Officer Patrick O’Donnell was set to begin before Judge Domenica Stephenson.
In a statement Wednesday afternoon, State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke said prosecutors decided to abandon the case against O'Donnell, who was accused of repeatedly punching Hadi Abu-Atelah after a traffic stop, following a review that led them to believe they didn't have the evidence for a conviction.
"Prosecutors must evaluate the evidence at every stage of a criminal proceeding, and act accordingly in the pursuit of justice. Throughout the pendency of this case, the CCSAO has been in communication with the victim, his family and attorney as we sought an appropriate resolution. Today we asked the court to dismiss the case, and the court granted our motion," the statement read.
It is the first high-profile police misconduct case to reach its conclusion under the new state's attorney, who has promised to crack down on crime, particularly guns.
O'Neill Burke, who took office earlier this month, has spoken about being raised by a family of police officers. But when the union that represents rank-and-file Chicago police officers encouraged its members to vote for her over primary challenger Clayton Harris III, she said she rejected the endorsement as "inappropriate" because of the close working relationship between the police department and prosecutors.
The Arab American Action Network released a statement Wednesday slamming O'Neill Burke, saying, "A grave injustice has been committed against our community.
“Instead of carrying out her duty to hold everyone accountable to the law, State’s Attorney Eileen Burke is returning the office to the old-style Chicago politics of back-room dealings and cover-ups of misconduct, where one corrupt and guilty hand washes the other."
The case has drawn condemnation from some Arab Americans in the south suburbs who claimed it was representative of bias by police officers in the region and overpolicing against the community.
The teen’s family and the Council on American-Islamic Relations Chicago have since filed a civil rights lawsuit against the Oak Lawn officers and the village. The suit is still pending in federal court while awaiting a resolution in the criminal case to proceed.
O’Donnell was indicted by a grand jury last year on counts of aggravated battery and official misconduct when the office was led by State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, who made addressing allegations of police misconduct a priority of her administration.
O’Donnell and the other two officers were filmed by a bystander as they held Abu-Atelah, then 17, on the ground as O’Donnell repeatedly punched the teen in his head after Abu-Atelah ran from a traffic stop.
Family and attorneys for the teen said he spent six days in a hospital for fractures to his face, skull and pelvis, and was treated for swelling of his brain.
At a news conference where police showed dashcam video of the arrest, Oak Lawn Police Chief Daniel Vittorio defended his officer’s actions and said Abu-Atelah was reaching for a shoulder bag as he struggled with officers.
A loaded semiautomatic pistol was found in the bag, and the state’s attorney’s office charged Abu-Atelah with gun possession. The status of that case was not immediately clear because he was charged as a juvenile.
But in December 2023, Abu-Atelah, then 19, was charged with a felony count of robbery, along with two other teenagers, in connection with an incident that month at a Lifetime Fitness, 16333 S. La Grange Road in Orland Park, according to court records.
The teens allegedly followed an acquaintance into a locker room at the gym and then began kicking and punching him. While the victim was on the ground, one of the teens allegedly removed his cellphone, and then all three fled, Orland Park police reported.
O’Donnell’s lawyer, James McKay, had previously sought to get evidence of that case and school disciplinary records for Abu-Atelah heard at the trial.
McKay did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.