Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Black Man Files Lawsuit After Being Violently Arrested For Having A 'Shocked Look On His Face'

Black Man Files Lawsuit After Being Violently Arrested For Having A 'Shocked Look On His Face'
ABC 7 Chicago

Leroy Kennedy IV, a Black man whose violent arrest last August went viral, filed a lawsuit against the city of Chicago following the incident.

Kennedy, who was in Humboldt Park on the West Side of Chicago, Illinois was approached and assaulted by two officers as he walked to a local store in late summer of last year.


WARNING: video contains violence

www.youtube.com

Kennedy was approached from behind and slammed against a brick wall and then thrown to the ground while officers repeatedly smashed his head against the sidewalk.

The entire incident was captured on video via an officer's body camera.





Kennedy spent four days in jail following this arrest and a charge for aggravated battery against an officer and resisting arrest.

The charges were dropped as a police report filed by the officers stated they arrested Kennedy for "having a shocked look on his face" when he saw the police.

"The police can't even pretend he did anything. You have a police report with no description of a crime and no reason to approach him other than his bulging eyes," said Kennedy's lawyer, Christopher Smith, to ABC7 News.





Kennedy said the event left him "traumatized."

"I told him like, 'Sir, I'm not resisting. I just want to get my glasses...He slammed me again thinking I'm resisting."

After the assault, Kennedy needed to be taken to a local hospital for treatment. Camera footage from the car shows him bloodied and bruised as a result of the encounter.





Kennedy's lawsuit seeks "compensatory damages, and because defendants acted maliciously, wantonly, or oppressively; punitive damages against the individual (officers) in their individual capacities."

The Chicago Police Department has refused to comment on the incident or the lawsuit.

More from Trending

Carnie Wilson and Brian Wilson
KMazur/WireImage for The Recording Academy/Getty Images

Carnie Wilson Shares Heartbreaking Tribute To Dad Brian Wilson After His Death At 82

Beach Boys founding member Brian Wilson died on Wednesday at the age of 82. Tributes from friends, fellow musicians, and fans referred to him as a musical genius for his songwriting, musical composition style and innovative recording techniques.

He's also patriarch to a musical dynasty, with his daughters, Carnie and Wendy, and granddaughter, Lola, following in his footsteps. Carnie and Wendy Wilson formed Wilson Phillips with their childhood friend Chynna Phillips—whose own parents are Michelle and John Phillips of '60s super group The Mamas And The Papas.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nancy Mace; Simone Biles
Win McNamee/Getty Images; Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Netflix

Nancy Mace's Claim That No One Would Know Simone Biles' Name If Men Competed Against Her Gets Epically Fact-Checked

South Carolina MAGA Republican Representative Nancy Mace has been making a name for herself by being the most vulgar and vile anti-trans person in Congress. She's screamed transphobic slurs in official committee meetings and attacked anyone who opposes her bigotry.

Now she's decided to take on the most decorated gymnast in history—in women's and men's gymnastics—Simone Biles, who holds the record for the most Olympic and World Championship medals combined. Biles won 41 medals in just those events, surpassing all other gymnasts.

Keep ReadingShow less
JD Vance
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Vance Tried To Make A Joke About Seeing 'Les Misérables' At The Kennedy Center—And It's Peak Cringe

Vice President JD Vance had people groaning after he made a bad joke about the production of Les Misérables he and his wife, Second Lady Usha Vance, attended at the Kennedy Center with President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.

The musical, set in 19th century France, tells the story of Jean Valjean, an ex-convict who is released from prison for stealing a loaf of bread. The story touches on timeless themes such as justice and mercy—and also happens to be about people resisting an authoritarian takeover, which many find ironic given the Trump administration's response to protests in Los Angeles.

Keep ReadingShow less
bride and groom cutting wedding cake
Wedding Dreamz on Unsplash

People Who Smashed Wedding Cake In Their Spouse's Face Reveal How Their Relationship Is Going Now

According to The Knot wedding resource magazine and website, smashing cake into the face of a spouse after tying the knot is a tradition tied to medieval England. To celebrate the marriage, the bride would toss a piece of piece of cake over her shoulder for good luck.

This evolved into newlyweds feeding a piece of cake to one another, then taking frosting or a small bit of cake and rubbing it gently onto each other's faces—usually the cheek or tip of the nose.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of U.S. Army veteran who criticized Donald Trump
@btnewsroom/TikTok

U.S. Army Vet Goes Viral With Blistering Speech Ripping Trump For Deploying Troops To L.A.

A U.S. Army veteran went viral after she spoke out to encourage other current and former military members to publicly condemn President Donald Trump for using them as "pawns" to suit his own ends after he deployed the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles amid ongoing protests against his administration's immigration raids.

Trump has activated over 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines, despite opposition from city and state leaders. He has painted a bleak picture of Los Angeles—claims that Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom say are wildly exaggerated.

Keep ReadingShow less