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Chicago police officer charged after tasing man in Dunning neighborhood: officials
A Chicago police officer is facing felony charges for tasing a man who then fell and suffered a broken nose.
CHICAGO - A Chicago police officer is facing felony charges for tasing a man who then fell and suffered a broken nose.
Officer Marco Simonetti could spend up to five years in prison if he's convicted.
The incident happened in August 2021 in the Dunning neighborhood, near Normandy and Addison. A person called police to report a suspicious man pulling on gates.
The Cook County State's Attorney's Office says Simonetti was questioning the man about whether he lived at a certain residence after he was sitting on the home's porch.
Simonetti told the man he would "lock him up" if the man was lying to him, officials said.
The man insisted he lived at the home, and told Simonetti, "You can't go into my house."
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Simonetti then asked the man to put his hands on his squad car, officials said. The man did so while removing a plastic bag and cellphone from his pockets. Simonetti took the items and put them on top of the squad car.
The man then told Simonetti not to touch his phone, while insisting he did nothing wrong, officials said.
Simonetti then grabbed the man by the wrist and the man asked, "Why are you arresting me?"
Simonetti denied he was arresting him, at which point the man began to run in the direction of his house, officials said.
Simonetti then ran after the man while shouting, "I'm going to tase you" and "Get down on the ground," officials said.
The man put his hands up and was backing away from the officer, officials said. Simonetti then told him, "I'm going to tase you, last warning."
The man asked Simonetti not to tase him, at which point the officer fired his taser, officials said. It struck the man in his arm and forehead.
The man fell forward and hit his face on the walkway. He began bleeding and convulsing on the ground, officials said.
He was taken to an area hospital and treated for a nasal fracture and received stitches.
The incident was captured on bodycam video, which has not been released yet.
According to officials, the officer radioed in after deploying the taser, saying, "I had to tase him."
Simonetti later prepared a report, saying he "unintentionally deployed the taser."
Simonetti is charged with official misconduct and aggravated battery.
The judge ordered Simonetti not to carry a gun, and to surrender his FOID card.
Simonetti's bail was set at $5,000.