Muslim Woman Sues Chicago Police Claiming False Arrest
- 8 years ago
A Muslim woman is suing the Chicago Police Department (CPD), for an incident that took place on July 4, 2015, which she claims involved religious profiling and excessive force.
A Muslim woman is suing the Chicago Police Department (CPD), for an incident that took place on July 4, 2015, which she claims involved religious profiling and excessive force.
According to a press release issued by the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago), one of the groups representing her, Itemid Al-Matar was at a train station when a group of officers suddenly “grabbed her from the stairs and threw her to the stair landing.”
Al-Matar's attorney Gregory Kulis says that, during this time, “Her hijab was torn from her face and head, exposing her face to the public contrary to her religious beliefs.”
He has also told the media that police believed the woman was “lone-wolf suicide bomber.”
Al-Matar, who also goes by the first name Angel, was taken into custody and charged with several crimes including obstruction of justice and reckless conduct, but she has since been completely cleared.
CAIR-Chicago says that her lawsuit is charging the CPD with “use of excessive force, false arrest, violation of freedom of religious expression, and malicious prosecution, among other counts.”
The police department has declined to comment on the lawsuit, however released a statement on Thursday saying, "While CPD does not comment on pending or proposed litigation our officers work hard each day to investigate suspicious activity and fight crime. We strive to treat all individuals with the highest levels of dignity and respect.”
A Muslim woman is suing the Chicago Police Department (CPD), for an incident that took place on July 4, 2015, which she claims involved religious profiling and excessive force.
According to a press release issued by the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago), one of the groups representing her, Itemid Al-Matar was at a train station when a group of officers suddenly “grabbed her from the stairs and threw her to the stair landing.”
Al-Matar's attorney Gregory Kulis says that, during this time, “Her hijab was torn from her face and head, exposing her face to the public contrary to her religious beliefs.”
He has also told the media that police believed the woman was “lone-wolf suicide bomber.”
Al-Matar, who also goes by the first name Angel, was taken into custody and charged with several crimes including obstruction of justice and reckless conduct, but she has since been completely cleared.
CAIR-Chicago says that her lawsuit is charging the CPD with “use of excessive force, false arrest, violation of freedom of religious expression, and malicious prosecution, among other counts.”
The police department has declined to comment on the lawsuit, however released a statement on Thursday saying, "While CPD does not comment on pending or proposed litigation our officers work hard each day to investigate suspicious activity and fight crime. We strive to treat all individuals with the highest levels of dignity and respect.”