A West Side woman is suing the Chicago Police Department and the City for barging into and ransacking her apartment last November while looking for a suspect.
In a lawsuit, filed last week in Cook County Circuit Court, Camille Gilliam alleges that just after midnight on Nov. 29, 2005, Chicago police officers entered her residence at 165 North Laporte Ave., without a warrant.
Gilliam was alone in the apartment with her six-year-old daughter Shayona. The suit contends the police then “searched and ransacked, demolished and destroyed” the residence. The suit also states that police officers in the course of their unlawful search “threatened, harassed, abused, mis-used [and] used vile language” upon Gilliam and her daughter.
Gilliam, a black woman in her mid 30s, has no prior criminal record, said her attorney R. Eugene Pincham, a retired Illinois Appellate Court Judge. Gilliam was unavailable for comment.
“I receive probably 15 to 20 calls per week concerning police transgressions,” Pincham said. “I am of the opinion that if this conduct continues unabated; there will be some serious consequences.”
Pincham said Gilliam’s case is important because he believes someone has to protest police misconduct. If the city has to pay, Pincham contends the police will stop abusing people.
“This department hasn’t been served with the complaint yet,” said Jennifer Hoyle, a spokesperson for the City’s Department of Law.
The Chicago Police Department was unavailable for comment.
The 2004 Chicago Police Department Annual Report has the following about allegations of unreasonable force.
Number of officers against whom allegations were made: 851
Total number of allegations made against such officers: 1,009
Number of officers against whom disciplinary charges were filed on the basis of allegations of unreasonable force allegations: 75
