A Chicago firefighter said on Wednesday he is filing a lawsuit in federal court against a police officer who has been accused of taking thousands of dollars in cash from shakedowns of alleged drug dealers and citizens.
Robert Cook, who has been a firefighter for 12 years, said Jerome Finnigan and three other officers broke into his Southwest Side home in May 2002 during a botched home invasion. Cook Said Finnigan and the other officers terrorized his girlfriend and her two young children.
"I was scared to death," Cook said. "First, you don't believe they're cops; you figure they're going to kill all of us. You have two little kids scared to death, you want to protect the kids, but you can't protect them because you're too busy getting beat up and handcuffed by people who claim they are police officers."
The lawsuit also names the city of Chicago, NBC5's Amy Jacobson reported.
Cook said he demanded to see a warrant and asked for a patrol car, but he said that infuriated Finnigan even more.
"He was implying that if she picks up the phone, she is under arrest with me, and someone else would take the kids away," Cook said.
Cook was allegedly taken upstairs, handcuffed and beaten while special operations officers ransacked his home. Cook said he had just had spinal surgery.
"We were upstairs, and they just proceeded to bend my head," Cook said. "I asked them for a sergeant, and Finningan's partner put his badge (against the forehead) and said, 'You want to see a sergeant?' and bent my head back. I had tears running down my face -- spinal surgery hurts a lot."
Cook said nothing was taken from his home, nor were any drugs planted. Both Cook and his attorney said they were working with the Cook County State's Attorney to identify the officers who were at his home that night.
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