Chicago Police Officer Arrested

May 27, 06:18 PM

Current Headlines: By Andrew L. Wang, Chicago Tribune

May 27--A Chicago police officer appeared in bond court Sunday on aggravated battery charges after allegedly breaking the jaw of a 15-year-old who had argued with the officer's son, according to the department's Office of Professional Standards.

Robert Gallegos, a 10-year-veteran assigned to the department's Mass Transit Unit, was relieved of his police powers and arrested Saturday night for the incident that happened on Wednesday, according to officials.

According to prosecutors, Gallegos' teenage son was involved in an argument with the student at Juarez High School and the officer later allegedly retaliated away from the school. The 15-year-old also suffered various bruises, according to officials.

The incident was reported to police on Thursday.

The teen was walking with two young women in an alley near 1928 S. May St. when he was approached by Gallegos and another man. Gallegos identified himself as a police officer and accused the teen of getting his son in trouble, prosecutors said in court Sunday.

"He grabbed [the teen] about the body and shoved him up on a garage door and punched him about the face," said the prosecutor in court. After the teen fell to the ground, Gallegos and the other man kicked the teen about the body, prosecutors said.

The teen was taken to Rush University Medical Center for a broken jaw, which will be wired shut for three weeks, prosecutors said. Judge Israel Desierto released Gallegos on a $100,000 bail, ordered him to stay away from drugs and alcohol and to stay away from the boy.

Gallegos attorney, Jim Thompson, said his client has no criminal history and "as a police officer is a guardian of the community."

Thompson also said the teen was a gang member who " had made threats against Mr. Gallegos and his family in the past."

Gallegos, who appeared in court on closed circuit television, is scheduled to appear in court again June 1.

OPS has come under heavy scrutiny in recent weeks because of their handling of two police beatings that were caught on videotape. Mayor Richard Daley has said that he will separate OPS from the Police Department because of criticism that the agency was protecting officers instead of aggressively investigating brutality allegations against them.

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