Weapons Charge Will Be Pursued For Teen In Viral Oak Lawn Arrest Video

OAK LAWN, IL — Cook County juvenile prosecutors will proceed with felony weapons charges for an Arab American youth whose arrest was captured on a citizen's video showing Oak Lawn police officers punching and tasering the teen.

Hadi Abuataleh, 17, was charged as juvenile with felony aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and resisting arrest. Abuataleh also faces misdemeanor charges. The teen was hospitalized for several days after the arrest, reportedly suffering internal bleeding in the brain, a broken nose, a broken pelvis and other injuries. He has since been released to his parents’ custody.

The viral video has drawn outrage from members of the Arab American community, who claim Abuataleh and his friends were racially profiled when police stopped their vehicle on July 27.

Following a Thursday’s court hearing at the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center, prosecutors opted to move forward with the felony weapons charge against the teen. In addition, the judge ordered a 10 p.m. curfew for the teen, reports said. Another hearing is reportedly planned for Friday to determine whether the felony resisting charge will proceed.

Abuataleh was a passenger in a car that was stopped when officers noted there was no front license plate, and claimed to smell the odor of marijuana wafting from the vehicle. The other teens complied with officers’ orders, but when Abuataleh exited the car holding an accessory bag, dashboard camera video from Oak Lawn police showed the teen fleeing from the traffic stop, triggering a pursuit.

The teen was alleged to be carrying a loaded .25-caliber gun in the accessory bag, according to police. Oak Lawn police officers said excessive force was required because they feared for their lives and the teen would not comply with orders to show his hands.

Abuataleh’s parents and supporters say the white Oak Lawn police officers went too far and violated the teen’s civil rights. Activists from the Arab American Action Network, Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), Southsiders for Peace and other activist groups held a news conference after Thursday’s court hearing.

“We’ve been saying from the beginning that the crime that was committed was the crime of those three officers almost beating that young man to death,” said Muhammad Sankari, lead organizer for the AAAN. “We want to see those three officers held to account. We believe Hadi has suffered enough.”

Last week, activists packed the Oak Lawn Police and Fire Commission meeting demanding that the three Oak Lawn police officers be fired. The activists have also encouraged their supporters to call Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and demand that the officers be charged.

The teen has filed a federal lawsuit against the village and police department. The Illinois State Police are reviewing the excessive force complaint. Oak Lawn police are cooperating with the investigation.