Joliet Cop Adam Stapleton Assaulted Me, Konika Morrow Tells Patch

JOLIET, IL - On Friday, a second video was posted on YouTube showing a different angle of Joliet Police Officer Adam Stapleton tackling a 40-year-old woman, Konika Morrow, seriously injuring her knee and leaving her with several bumps and bruises, she told Joliet Patch.

Morrow, the cousin of 33-year-old missing Joliet resident Jasmine Morrow, said she was arrested by Stapleton on charges of aggravated assault and obstruction of justice. She said the charges are trumped up and she has notified the NAACP in hopes that the prominent civil rights organization would pursue a police brutality case against Stapleton.

The latest video posted on YouTube is called Woman is Tackled By Joliet Cop, 2nd Angle. That video is posted at the bottom of this article.

Warning to readers: the video includes profanity.

On Wednesday, the Joliet Police Department published a lengthy statement, giving its version of events, headlining its account: "OFFICERS SURROUNDED BY UNRULY CROWD, ONE ARRESTED." The incident occurred near a church vigil for missing Joliet resident Jasmine Morrow, who hasn't been seen by anybody since July 2.

Regarding its arrest of Konika Morrow, Joliet Police announced: "the crowd began threatening the officers with harm to them and their families and made racial/derogatory remarks towards the officers. At one point, Morrow, approached the officers and she was told to stay back. When an officer put his arm out to keep Morrow from the other officers, Morrow attempted to hit the officer with her arm. After a brief struggle, Morrow was placed into custody."

But on Friday, Joliet Central social studies teacher Ernest Crim posted a new YouTube video of Konika Morrow's arrest, declaring: "From this angle, you can see a better, not perfect, view of the victim's claim that she was blindsided by this officer Adam Stapleton who tackled her as soon as he exited his vehicle."

Crim, who has a large following on Facebook and on other social justice outlets, went on to say that, "As of today,the victim is still being charged with aggravated assault and obstruction of justice. There was only one instigator of violence in this situation though."

Morrow told Joliet Patch on Friday afternoon that Stapleton flew up out of nowhere in his patrol car "and he jumped out of the car. I'm tackled out of nowhere by this officer after he pulls up. I just felt being taken off my feet. My face hit the ground. He flings me over and I was like, 'Why the hell is this happening?'

When Morrow complained about her injuries and asked to go to the hospital, Morrow said that one of Stapleton's supervisors, whom she identified as Javier Esqueda, responded to Stapleton by using a baby-sounding voice, "Well, get the baby an ambulance."

Before she went to the hospital, Morrow said another officer approached Stapleton to give him a congratulatory bump with his hand for taking Morrow out, telling Stapleton that Tuesday's incident reminded him of a call the pair had handled a couple years earlier with a similar outcome.

At St. Joe's hospital, the X-rays for broken bones were negative, Morrow told Patch, but she had suffered a sprained knee. She said the Joliet Police offered to pay for her medical bills, since she got injured "in our custody by one of our officers."

Afterward, Morrow said the Joliet Police drove her to the downtown Joliet Police Station for processing. From there, they drove her to her mother's house; she was not taken to the Will County Jail despite being charged with aggravated assault, which is a felony crime, she said.

Instead, Joliet Police let her go on an I-bond, she explained.

"I have to stay off my feet. I have bumps and bruises on my arm. The left side of my face is swollen," Morrow said. "My doctor gave me this injection to try to get the swelling (in my knee) down."

Morrow said that Stapleton was the aggressor, pointing out there were already several other Joliet Police officers at the scene and there had been no altercation involving the crowd and the police until Stapleton arrived and tackled her to the ground.

"Their story that they wrote on me, none of that happened" Morrow said, referring to the Joliet Police Department Facebook page.

Morrow said she expects to be vindicated in the Will County judicial system in the event that the Will County State's Attorney's Office pursues formal charges against her for aggravated assault and obstruction of justice.

"Because I know I wasn't in the wrong," she told Joliet Patch on Friday. "I will not accept the charges."

On the other hand, Morrow said, she would be remiss if she did not single out Joliet Police Officer James Hogan for being extremely cordial, courteous and professional in his dealings with her throughout the night. Morrow said Officer Hogan deserves to be complimented for his professionalism toward her on Tuesday night.

As for Stapleton, she said, his conduct left her with the impression he is a poorly trained patrol officer "who doesn't know how to deal with people.

"I want him charged with assault," she said. "He used excessive force for no reason. He's huge. He's really aggressive to people. Personally, he should be fired. "

Warning to readers: the video includes profanity.