The Chicago Police Department's getting all sorts of negative attention after Alexander Ruppert alleged coppers smeared him in an anti-gay attack. According to Rupert's lawsuit, officers took him into custody after he "caused a disturbance" at Uptown Lounge. That's when things got ugly. And hateful.
From Chicago's WBBM:
The officers allegedly escorted 35-year-old Alexander Ruppert at about 10:30 p.m. March 5, 2006, from the Uptown Lounge, at 1136 W. Lawrence Av. Ruppert's life partner, David Flood, called Ruppert as he sat in the squad car without handcuffs.
According to the suit, Foster Avenue District Officers Vincent Torres and Kent Pemberton stated in their report on the incident that they intended to take him to fill out a "contact card."
Ruppert, who is 5'5" tall and weighs 120 pounds, claims in the suit that the officers, twice his size, took him instead behind the nearby Uptown Theater, out of sight of nearby traffic, and beat him, while taunting him for being gay, calling him a "faggot" and using other derogatory remarks.
Attorney Jon Erickson said the beating stopped only when Ruppert told them he had AIDS did they stop punching him.
After that, said attorney Michael Oppenheimer, Ruppert was taken to Weiss Memorial Hospital, received 16 stitches for injuries to his face and head, and was then taken to the Foster Avenue police station, held for 48 hours before being charged with resisting arrest and aggravated battery against a police officer, and then was held for a week in the Cook County Jail, until he could make his $50,000 bond.
Because beating someone simply isn't enough, right?
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This case makes the whole bs between Cooper and Wainwright seem silly. Hopefully folk will get mad about this, but I'm sensing not. Instead we will get all prissy when some famous airhead says something we don't like.
Fucking bastards. Two of those shitheads beating up on a 120 man. Most cops are nothing by schoolyard bullies and their victims who grow to torment others.
I've searched and what I've found is that the police gave no indication for removing Mr. Rupert from the bar. They just forced him out the door. It seems like the only reason the cops were called was because he was sitting at the bar wearing a pink shirt.
Welcome to America … land of the free, home of the BRAVE! It's frightening to think these sickos are carrying guns.
I hope this case doesn't go away anytime soon. Unfortunately we don't have an Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson to get national media attention for this despicable act.
My true hope is the cops get canned and the police department is sued for millions of dollars and loses. If there was a federal hate crimes law covering LGBT persons, maybe more would be done.
This guy is an alcoholic and gets SEVERELY abusive when drunk. Lawyers - go into ANY northside gay establishment, bartenders will know him as BAD NEWS. He's a SCAMMER!