CTA worker charged after 54-year-old found dead in Loop subway station
Emmett Richardson
CHICAGO - A CTA worker is accused of battering a transit passenger who was found dead in a stairwell in the Loop Saturday.
Emmett Richardson, 39, faces one felony count of aggravated battery in a public place and one felony count of aggravated battery to a transit passenger.
At about 4:01 a.m. Saturday, a 54-year-old man was found unresponsive in a CTA stairwell landing in the 100 block of West Congress Parkway.
The victim was transported to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
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CTA video captured Richardson, who is a customer service assistant with the transit agency, punching and kicking the victim, according to court documents.
A few hours later, Richardson was arrested at his home in South Commons and charged with battering the victim.
CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. said Richardson "has been removed from service without pay pending further investigation and disciplinary action," calling his actions "absolutely reprehensible."
"I am appalled by this person’s behavior, which not only is completely contrary to CTA policies but also showed a stunning lack of humanity," Carter said in a statement. "His actions are an insult to the thousands of hardworking and dedicated men and women who serve CTA customers every day."
The incident has been classified as a death investigation pending autopsy results.
The Sun-Times Wire contributed to this report.