Rachelle Jackson, a trained nurse, pulled two policemen out of their burning squad car ... and rather than being thanked for her heroic effort, she was arrested on charges that she robbed, battered and disarmed a peace officer and jailed for 10 months!
Jackson sued the city and several Chicago police officers, and a federal jury had just awarded her almost $8 million for false arrest, malicious prosecution, coercive questioning, and intentional infliction of emotional distress:
The case began in November 2002, when a car ran a stop sign in Jackson's neighborhood, slamming into the squad car. Jackson was walking nearby and rushed to the scene. When she arrived, the officer behind the wheel was unconscious and the passenger, Officer Kelly Brogan, was dazed.
She pulled Brogan from the wreckage and helped her to a nearby stoop. Soon after, police approached Jackson and told her that the driver's weapon had been stolen. When she was asked to go to the police station for questioning, she thought it was as a witness to the accident.
Instead, Jackson was accused of the theft. She was held for two days with little food and water and was threatened with violence until she agreed to sign a statement police had prepared for her. She was then charged and spent more than 10 months in the Cook County Jail awaiting trial.
Note to self: If I ever see a cop in need of help, walk away. Just isn't worth the grief.
I'm clueless.
And who's to say which story is correct? Were there other witnesses to the situation? If there weren't than it is complete he said/she said and there's no reason to believe the nurse over the cop and vice versa. The article was horribly biased against the cops, as well.
Poo poo on bad journalism!
What may have happened is the weapon was dropped during the rescue and picked up by a passersby.
If only she had called a Lawyer during her two day interrogation, her life would have changed.
Perhaps because she was 'asked' to go - she was not entitled to the same protections as someone who was arrested and held for two days.
You can be 'asked' to go and held for two days in Chicago???
I can't believe they try to say she had one of the officers in a full nelson. Well DUH.. how else was she going to pull their ungrateful asses out of the car? Maybe she should've dragged them out by their damn ears.
UGH just stories like this make me sick. Nothing against cops.. but everything against stupid people.
She deserves every cent because she had to actually sue them to get restitution. They didn't own up to their frivolous action on their own. Not only that, their actions weren't just frivolous but illegal and in contempt of civil rights. A JUDGE realized how awful the case was and threw it out..no he said/she said Mattie..giving her all the freedom she needed to seek retribution.
the main thing she, and the rest of chicago's taxpayers, deserve is the offending police officers fired and/or jailed.
She didn't deserve 10 months in jail though.
Nurse Jackson is a nurse of colour - she is therefore genetically inclined to diss whitey, hate the cops and steal stuff. My, I've heard those black nurses even spit in your meds...
She was shafted because she was convenient and probably thought to be acquiescent when charged.
Good for her for standing up for her rights - eight million bucks (no matter where it comes from) isn't nearly enough.
Those complaining about their 'tax dollars' being 'wasted' on such a 'frivolous' matter should perhaps be having a look at the culture of a Police department which is so fucked up that trumped up charges seem to be a Standrad Operating Procedure - the problem is not that she took them to court, the problem is that the PD NEEDED to be taken to Court in the first place.
Every action the Police take which puts them in disrepute reduces any respect for the law.
Oh yes I would...
In Cincinnati, our cops would have killed her. I say that in complete seriousness, unfortunately.
I do wonder why she didn't ask for a lawyer though...perhaps her thinking was that if she asked for one, she'd look guilty? Just speculation. Then again, how was she thrown in for 10 months?
I feel horrible for her and believe she does deserve justice, but there's a lot missing in the story.
Your comment: "Those complaining about their ‘tax dollars’ being ‘wasted’ on such a ‘frivolous’ matter should perhaps be having a look at the culture of a Police department which is so fucked up that trumped up charges seem to be a Standrad Operating Procedure - the problem is not that she took them to court, the problem is that the PD NEEDED to be taken to Court in the first place"
YOU pay part of the $8 million to give to her then, how about that? I've been pulled over by cops of every color (4 times for looking too YOUNG to drive- talk about a bias there), the ONLY one that mistreated me was Hispanic. He hit on me, asked me to get out of the car to show him my eye color to prove my license wasn't a fake, and I called 911 on HIM. That doesn't mean all Hispanic cops are racist, it just means he was a prick. So yes, obviously because the woman was black, all the officers involved HAD to be racist, right?
You're right, it does take respect away from the law, however it does NOT warrant your comments.
The only bad experience I've ever had with a cop was with a Hispanic guy. He pulled me over for no apparent reason and asked for my license, then asked me if my eyes were really gray. He proceeded to hit on me (made weirder by the fact that he pulled me over because he thought I was too YOUNG to be driving, which I've been pulled over before 3 other times, but never treated this way- not by cops of any color) and ask me if I could step out of the vehicle. I called 911 on his scary ass. I don't think all Hispanic cops are pervert freaks who try to get young girls now, and I don't think all white cops are racist ass holes. By the way, do you even know that the officers involved were white? You seem to be making a lot of assumptions that you probably shouldn't be making.
How about this, you contribute to the 8 million bucks they're paying her. See how you like it then.
Either you're here to get a rise out of people or you genuinely know nothing. Whatever.
It’s funny how a story can get spun. She got that money cause of a "jury of peers" and when average citizens are on a jury they ALWAYS side against the police and obvious criminals get to walk. R.Kelly got off and if any one with two eyes watched that tape they would know it was him.
Plus, don't help a cop next time there might be an issue. I want you to just pass on by but when you need help do it yourself - don't bother calling 911.
All you posters are just like the typical self-righteous public with their anti-police attitude. It’s depressing to know that I have to protect people like you but you would not lift a finger to help someone else. Not all cops are jerks. Granted a lot of them are but most of them just want you to not break the law.
Walk a mile, my comrades, walk a mile.
She, if she'd been behaving as a nurse (my aunt is one, and actually commented on this- so this isn't BS, just so you know), would have immediately called 911, checked the status of both officers but NOT moved them, and waited for help to arrive. If one of the officers needed assistance getting out, she could help them, but nurses should not and WOULD NOT pull a person out of a car using the head or neck.
Her story seems completely unreal, and I can't believe she got any money, let alone $8 million. Yay for idiots who just like blaming the cops. Talk about a powertrip.
a) Bringing up that race is ridiculous in this case
b) Saying how she reacted improperly
c) How she SHOULD have reacted, based on her training
d) The article is biased, and everyone seems to LOVE blaming law enforcements these days.
It's not like I'm actually trying to get an objective view here or anything, not at all. By the way, they weren't burning. The car wasn't on fire. How about actually reading before commenting, sound good?