Opinion ID: 3003518
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Maribel Gonzalez

Text: Maribel testified that when the plaintiffs reached the restaurant, she observed a group of customers outside the doors, along with Aranda’s wife and the owner of the restaurant. Maribel estimated that there were no more than ten people in the group. Maribel walked over to the group to console Aranda’s wife, and it was at that point that Officer Pantoja asked the group to disperse and leave the premises. Maribel then left the scene with three others and started walking away from the restaurant down Villa Street. As they left, Officer Pantoja and another officer followed them, repeatedly telling them, “Get the f’ing out of here,” and using other foul language. At that point a number of squad cars pulled up near where they were walking, and all of a sudden an officer grabbed Jose around the neck from behind. A number of officers converged on him, punching and kicking him, 8 No. 08-2658 while Maribel, along with others, asked the officers to stop and questioned why they were hitting Jose. During Jose’s beating, Maribel told the officers, “I think you guys have the wrong people,” thinking that the officers thought her group was responsible for beating Aranda’s wife and brother. When the officers picked Jose up off the ground, Maribel followed them saying, “You guys, we didn’t do anything,” and asking, “Why are you guys arresting us?” When the officer took Jose to the back of the police van, she asked the officer where he was taking Jose. In response, another officer, later identified as Officer McGinley, turned and punched her in the stomach with his flashlight. According to Maribel, Officer McGinley never said a word to her before hitting her with his flashlight. It was only after he hit her that he spoke to her, calling her a “fucking bitch” as he pulled her away from the police van by her hair and pushed her down, face first, onto the hood of a police car. Maribel was then arrested and taken to the police station with Jose where Officer McGinley charged her with mob action and obstructing a police officer. Officer McGinley later admitted that the complaints were never sworn in accordance with police department policy, and that he never actually saw Maribel fighting. The defendants offered little evidence about Maribel’s role in the incident. In essence, they testified that she was arguing with Officer Schroeder and trying to obstruct Officer McGinley’s motions. Again, both parties claim that Video 857 supports their version of events. With respect to the arrest of Maribel, Video No. 08-2658 9 857 shows officers leading Jose to the back of the police van, followed closely by Maribel, who is visibly distressed. Maribel appears to be questioning the officers repeatedly, but it is not possible to see whether the officers replied, and the video has no sound track. At no point does Maribel touch either of those officers. As Maribel is standing next to the two officers who are putting Jose in the van, Officer McGinley walks over to Maribel and positions his body between her and the other officers. Officer McGinley appears first to press the end of his flashlight lightly against Maribel to keep her at arm’s length. Then, moments later, he jabs her violently in the stomach with the flashlight and shoves her with great force out of the street and up onto the curb; this occurs at 5:03:57. Maribel is then led out of view of Video 857. Notably, Officer McGinley was fired as a result of this incident. In his police incident report, Officer McGinley failed to disclose any use of force against Maribel. Sergeant James Barnes of the Elgin Police Department Internal Affairs testified that McGinley lied about not touching Maribel. At his termination hearing, McGinley persisted with his story that he did not touch Maribel, but witnesses agreed that Video 857 clearly showed that he did push Maribel. McGinley’s discharge was upheld by an arbitrator.