Back in March, a Black Chicago man’s trip to the convenience store turned into straight havoc after a heated interaction with a police officer. The incident left him with a permanent disability. Now, he’s ready to get his lick back - the legal way.
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Dominic Bradford, 22, filed a lawsuit against the village of Robbins and one of their police officers following the March 18 incident. In his first interview since the incident, Bradford told ABC7 News he stopped by a convenience store in Robbins with his friend. The group was on their way home from a sports bar, he said. The store clerk thought he recognized Bradford. However, he assured the clerk that it was his first time in the store, he told ABC7.
"That became a minor back and forth of, 'I think I've seen you?' 'No, you haven't. I've never been here before,.' That's when I knocked on the glass for the item behind the counter," Bradford said.
Bradford said a Robbins police officer was in the store during the interaction and ordered Bradford to stop knocking on the glass. Bradford said the two had a short exchange and the officer asked him to leave.
Frustrated, Bradford complied with the orders but believed he was being removed from the store “for no reason,” he told reporters. In body camera footage obtained by ABC7, Bradford is seen shouting at the officer from behind the door of the store as a friend tries to push him back toward the car. The officer then followed Bradford and his friends back to his car, per the video.
The officer then drew his Taser and pointed it at Bradford, ordering him to get into the vehicle. Bradford appeared to grow defiant as his friends continued trying to get him inside the vehicle. The video shows the officer deploy the Taser toward Bradford but with little effect as Bradford pulled the shock strings off him and advanced toward the officer.
The cop then shot the Taser again but at Bradford’s face, causing him to retreat, as seen in the footage. The officer then called for backup and Bradford was brought to the hospital, the report says. His mother described the remainder of the horrifying footage to ABC7, saying her son’s face bloodied and his eye was nearly hanging out of its socket.
The narrative from the police department, this time, wasn't far off from what was witnessed in the body camera footage: Bradford displayed hostile behavior. However, Bradford claims the use of force was unjustified. Now begs the question of how Bradford’s legal complaint will stand in court. Bradford’s attorney, Keenan Saulter, provided an answer.
"I'm not here to sugarcoat the fact that Dominic was angry. But he's outside the store. That's the key. He followed his command. Police officers, quite frankly, are trained to deal with individuals who are not happy that they are being interacted with by police. That's part of the job. That doesn't mean police officers don't have feelings, they do. But they're trained to not emotionally react, particularly when they are not being placed in danger,” said Saulter to ABC7.
No charges were filed on either side of the incident. However, Bradford, four surgeries later, must live with not being able to see out of his right eye.
"I'll never look the same again, or feel the same again quite frankly. This is what my reality is right now. I don't wish this on my worst enemy,” Bradford told ABC7.
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