CHICAGO — There have been no charges in the beating of a gay couple outside a bar in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood, despite a gay Chicago cop being identified as the assailant.
The Chicago Tribune reported on Thursday that John Sherwood and his partner Tom Stacha were attacked on Sept. 29, both being hospitalized with severe injuries. The newspaper reported that a friend of theirs identified CPD Sgt. Eric Elkins as one of the attackers that same night. However, there have still been no charges.
Anthony Guglielmi, a Chicago police spokesman, told the Tribune that Elkins “a person of interest” in the beating and said the investigation “is still continuing.”
“It’s about building the strongest case possible,” Guglielmi said. “It’s a decision that will be made jointly with prosecutors.”
The Cook County state’s attorney’s office declined to comment when the newspaper contacted them.
The Tribune did report that a personal injury lawsuit had been filed.
“It’s a code of silence. They protect their own,” said Timothy Cavanagh, Sherwood and Stacha’s attorney in the lawsuit. “They had probable cause to arrest (Elkins) weeks ago. But because it’s a Chicago police sergeant, nothing.”
Elkins is named as a defendent in the lawsuit, as is Elkin’s boyfriend, a Oak Park cop, and two other friends.
Elkins has been on the CPD for 19 years. The Tribune reported that there are 35 complaints against him plus he’s been on desk duty for two years while an investigation into a Michigan sexual assault case continues.
You can read the full story on the Chicago Tribune.
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