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| Surveillance video image. (CBS Photo) |
Posted: Friday, 25 September 2009 8:55AM
Video of attack on CTA bus driver turns up
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CHICAGO (CBS) ― Surveillance video has surfaced in the attack on a CTA bus driver.
A federal lawsuit filed this week on behalf of the driver, Ricardo Mendoza, names the attacker as Chicago police Sgt. Thomas O'Grady. Mendoza also is suing the city of Chicago and seeks damages in excess of $1 million.
As CBS 2's Mai Martinez reports, the incident was captured by four surveillance cameras on the bus and witnessed by several passengers. They included two uniformed Chicago police officers who stepped in to defend the driver before the offender could attack Mendoza again.
Mendoza is still too upset to talk about the Sept. 12 nighttime attack, but video from the bus shows it took only seconds to unfold. On the video, the man identified as Sgt. Thomas O'Grady gets on the bus and lunges at Mendoza.
Mendoza says O'Grady struck him so hard his glasses were broken. After the attack, O'Grady steps back for a moment, then comes at Mendoza again as the two uniformed officers who happened to be on the bus step in and force O'Grady off the bus.
Moments later, a shaken Mendoza called CTA control to report the incident.
Here is part of the exchange between Mendoza and CTA control:
CTA Control: Do you need an ambulance?
Mendoza: Yeah.
CTA Control: OK, what injuries do you have?
Mendoza: Huh?
CTA Control: What injuries do you have?
Mendoza: I have glasses, and he hit me on my face, and he broke my left eye.
CTA Control: So you have a laceration to your left eye?
Mendoza: Yes.
CTA Control: Are you bleeding?
Mendoza: No, there's no blood.
In that same call, Mendoza said his attacker was riding a bicycle as the bus drove by on State Street. That passing may have prompted the attack because Mendoza told CTA control he gave the man on the bicycle enough room.
But in Mendoza's words, "He still drove directly towards my bus, and somehow he says that I almost killed him."
Mendoza was treated and released from Northwestern Hospital for his injuries, but his attorney, Craig Sandberg, says the driver is haunted by what happened.
"There's certainly the physical injuries that took place, as well as the psychological," Sandberg said.
Darrell Jefferson, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 241, which represents Mendoza, says he's appalled by the lack of action taken by Chicago police against the accused officer.
"This attack against Mr. Mendoza by an officer of the law who is supposed to protect people is totally outrageous," Jefferson said.
When asked why he felt more hadn't been done to reprimand the accused officer, Jefferson replied simply, "Because it's the Chicago police."
The Independent Police Review Authority is investigating the incident. The office would not confirm the identity of the officer involved.
Chicago Police also would not confirm the officer's identity but did say the officer involved in the CTA incident had already been stripped of his police powers and assigned to administrative duties because of another incident that is under investigation.
Chicago police said in a statement: "The plaintiff's attorney released video footage related to this incident which showed that the actions of the parties involved were inconsistent with statements reported to the media last week by sources other than the Chicago Police Department. The investigation is currently ongoing by the Chicago Police Detective Division. The
Independent Police Review Authority is also investigating the incident. "
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