Anybody in Illinois heard about this?

[Sindawe]

Sigh....

Sikh American Veteran Assaulted by Police Officer in Illinois
SALDEF calls for immediate probe into assault and the xenophobic, anti-immigrant statements by police officer against bronze star recipient

Washington D.C., April 11, 2007 -- The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the oldest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization in the country, today called upon the Joliet Police Department to investigate the actions of one of its officers when patrolling a local neighborhood.

On Friday March 30, 2007 at around 3:00pm, Mr. Kuldip Singh Nag, a Sikh American who was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in the U.S. Navy during the first Gulf War, was at his home in Joliet, IL when a local police officer noticed that a van parked on Mr. Nag’s private property had expired registration tags. Upon being confronted with this, Mr. Nag’s wife, Vera Kaur Nag, informed the officer that the van is parked on their driveway and was inoperable.

Mr. Nag then came outside to answer the officer’s questions regarding the van. The Joliet police officer then demanded that Mr. Nag park the van inside his garage and not on the driveway, to which Mr. Nag responded to the officer that it was not possible and that regardless, the van is parked on his private property and he has a right to park it on his driveway.

At this moment, the officer pulled out his pepper spray and attacked Mr. Nag. As Mr. Nag screamed in agony, the officer removed his baton and violently struck Mr. Nag numerous times until he fell to the ground. While the assault ensued, the officer was reported by both Mr. and Mrs. Nag as saying, “You f****** Arab! You f***** immigrant, go back to you f****** country before I kill you!”

Mr. Nag's wife and six year-old child both witnessed the violent assault, which resulted in Mr. Nag immediately being admitted to the hospital where he stayed for five days due to complaints of intense pain and head trauma. Mr. Nag also received numerous bruises and a serious head injury which have caused him to go blind for several minutes at a time

“This case seems to be a clear incident of police misconduct in Illinois,” said SALDEF Managing Director Kavneet Singh. “We are horrified at the anti-immigrant sentiment the officer allegedly used as he violently accosted Mr. Nag, and further that his six year old son was a witness to this violent assault. We call upon both Joliet and Illinois officials to investigate this incident and for the Illinois community to stand in solidarity with Mr. Nag.”

SALDEF has garnered the strong support of the Illinois Sikh American community and is currently working with The Chawla Group Ltd to represent Mr. Nag in a criminal case brought on by the City of Joliet.

Source: http://www.saldef.org/content.aspx?a=1682

 

[illini52]

Gee, that story doesn't seem biased at all....

 

[Sindawe]

Gee, that story doesn't seem biased at all....

Thats why I'm asking if anybody there has heard of this. Searching only turns up links to the original story so far.

 

[tommys]

I live in Joliet. This story never made the local newspaper. Most of the cops here are OK, this guy sounds like a bad apple.

 

[Jeff White]

I take reports published by advocacy groups with more grains of salt then I do with other media reports. I suppose we'll have to wait and see what happens. I find it hard to believe that this incident didn't make the news.

It does say that there was a criminal case filed by the city. Perhaps there is more then one side to this story.

I will say that many municipalities have ordinances about inoperable vehicles. It could be that was the reason for the initial contact.

Jeff

 

[Dr.Who]

I have not heard anything about this yet... Based on the coverage the cop got for beating up the bartender, you'd think the media would be all over this. However, this report is awful one sided. I'm having a tough time believing this is the whole story, if indeed it did happened...

 

[Soybomb]

Mr. Nag responded to the officer that it was not possible and that regardless, the van is parked on his private property and he has a right to park it on his driveway.

At this moment, the officer pulled out his pepper spray and attacked Mr. Nag. As Mr. Nag screamed in agony, the officer removed his baton and violently struck Mr. Nag numerous times

I'm doubting this is the complete story for some reason

Lets go to google just to see if I can find anything else

Kuldip Nag, 49, of 3574 Buck Ave. was arrested by Joliet police and booked into the county jail Tuesday on a charge of aggravated battery.

Out of curiosity would aggravated battery in Illinois indicate a weapon or just an assault on an officer?

Maybe I'm way off here but perhaps Mr. Nag was a little upset that he was being talked to about one of those inoperable vehicle ordinances and got hostile. I wonder if people with old dead cars sitting in their driveways for years are any more prone to being less civil...

 

[Jeff White]

Out of curiosity would aggravated battery in Illinois indicate a weapon or just an assault on an officer?

A battery to someone who the suspect knows to be a police officer, firefighter, EMS worker and several other public service occupations is aggravated battery, which is a felony.

I wonder if people with old dead cars sitting in their driveways for years are any more prone to being less civil...

I would rather do about anything else then have to enfoce ordinances like that. People get very upset when they are told they have to cut their weeds, remove trash and inoperable vehicles from their yard, tie up their dogs, not burn their trash and the various other things those ordinances cover.

Jeff

 

[Autolycus]

How come everyone comes out to attack cops for attacking a woman but when one does this to an immigrant it is "we need more information"? Could it be that the media decided not to play this up? I mean I always hear about how the media works for the leftists... could it also work for the right wingers?

Link to article.

Joliet cop beats up Sikh US Army Veteran, Screaming "F**ing Arab!"
+6 | Posted by cgull 11 hours ago in Crime | 2 comments | 63 views

US Navy Vet, Kuldip Nag being assaulted by the Police Officer

A Police Officer beats an US Army Veteran and calls him a "F**ing Arab and F**ing Immigrant"
On Friday March 30, 2007 at around 3:00pm, Mr. Kuldip Singh Nag, a Sikh American who was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in the U.S. Navy during the first Gulf War, was at his home in Joliet, IL when a local police officer noticed that a van parked on Mr. Nag’s private property had expired registration tags.

When the officer confronted about this vehicle, Mr. Nag’s wife, Vera Kaur Nag, informed the officer that the van is parked on their driveway and was inoperable. But the officer kept ordering her to move the car.

Kuldip Singh Nag, has served the US Navy during the first Gulf War, heard the disturbance outside, came outside to answer the officer's questions about the van. The Joliet Police Officer demanded Kuldiph to move the van inside the garage and not on the driveway. Kuldip responded that the car was inoperable and cannot be moved right away and that he had the right to park where he wants inside his driveway.

The officer was not happy with Kuldip's response pulled out his pepper spray and attacked Kuldip and also removed his baton and stuck him hard numerous times until he fell to the ground as shown. Kuldip and his wife also heard the officer saying while attacking him: “You f****** Arab! You f***** immigrant, go back to you f****** country before I kill you!”

Both Kuldip's wife and his six year old child witnessed this assault. After this incident Kuldip had to be admitted to the hospital where he had to stay for five days. Kuldip received numerous bruises and a serious head injury which caused temporary blindness.

The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), Managing Director Kavneet Singh, is appaled with the incident. He said: “We are horrified at the anti-immigrant sentiment the officer allegedly used as he violently accosted Mr. Nag, and further that his six year old son was a witness to this violent assault. We call upon both Joliet and Illinois officials to investigate this incident and for the Illinois community to stand in solidarity with Mr. Nag.”

It is a disgrace to treat the US Veteran like that, I hope they suspend this police officer and also issue an apology to Kuldip, he deserves that.
Source: saldef.org

It is from the same source but their is a picture.

 

[El Tejon]

Hey, didn't we have a thread here on THR where a guy asked what to do if the police pull up to his house and start asking questions and then attack you?

Looks like his concerns were justified.

 

[Jeff White]

El Tejon,
Do you really believe that's all there is to the story?

Jeff

 

[skidmark]

Link to article.

Look at the picture in the linked article. There seem to be a few things fishy about the scene.

The guy in the white pants and shirt, laying on the ground, is partially bald and has nothing covering his head.

AFAIK, all Sikh men wear a head covering except when bathing. If this person had the traditional turban on, I would expect to see it hanging off him even after a protracted scuffle, as those things are yards long and do not fly off easily.

After a struggle, there are no discernable stains on his white pants or white shirt. There do not appear to be any bumps, bruises or whelts about his head - although we cannot see the right side. Based on the lack of any distortion to the pants leg area of the cop or the guy on the ground, it does not appear the cop is restraining the guy on the ground except by being above him. After a struggle as described, one might expect more in the way of physical restraint.

I'm not saying any of this, or all of this, proves anything. It's just that the picture shows things that seem a bit *off* - if you know what I mean.

As for the cop, he needs to lear the difference between a burnoose and a turban.

stay safe.

skidmark

 

[Autolycus]

Skidmark:
Sikh men do not have to wear a turban at all times. And after initiation they can cut their hair. Many do not and continue letting it grow. He was struck and then fell as shown. the officer probably did not draw blood. And I dont believe that pepperspray would be that visible. Eitehr way the picture is not that great but I do see a man being complaint with the officer. But who knows.

 

[El Tejon]

Jeff White, you know I do not!

*meanwhile back at the Office of the Badger, the Badger sits at his desk with furrowed brow*

"So, you tested .24 BAC, you were on shrooms, Xanax and a vanilla latte, and you say the officer did the naked chicken dance around the car after you were arrested?"