According to reports, Michael Vitellaro, a police officer sergeant, was charged with felony official misconduct and aggravated battery. The news is coming six weeks after a video went viral on social media showing him holding a 14-year-old boy in the prone position with his knee while being on duty. According to Park Ridge police, the incident happened in Park Ridge, Illinois. Now, the 49-year-old officer has become the subject of discussion on social media and has been getting a lot of attention from everyone. Let us check more about the matter in the article below.
Michael Vitellaro has been working for the Chicago Police Department since 2000. While he was off duty, he got the information that his son’s bike was stolen from the local library and that it was seen at a nearby Starbucks. The information is based on a criminal complaint filed on August 18 in Cook County that led to the charges. After getting the information, the officer drove his son to the Starbucks where he discovered his son’s bike on the sidewalk. It was reportedly leaning up against a pillar.
Who Is Michael Vitellaro?
According to the criminal complaint, the officer waited in his car and observed who had stolen the bicycle. Later, the 14-year-old was identified in the criminal complaint as J.N, who was seated on his own bicycle. Then, he went on to move Vitellaro’s son’s bike. The complaint said that J.N just touched the bicycle when the off-duty officer exited his car and walked up to him. He grabbed the minor’s forearm and pushed him to the ground. It is further said that Vitellaro forced the boy to the ground and detained him by placing his knee on his back. Now, the video surveillance footage of the incident has surfaced online.
The video clip shows that J.N was not the person who took the bicycle. It is reported that the bicycle was already at that location before the boy even arrived riding his own bicycle. One of the young boy’s friends also captured the video which shows a group of boys attempting to get the off-duty officer off the boy. The complaint further states that Vitellaro proceeded to call 911 and asked for backup assistance and did not remove his knee from the boy’s back until he was questioned by a bystander. Reports claim that Vitellaro is due back in court on September 8. Stay tuned for more such latest updates.
