A veteran of the United States Marine Corps is suing a local police department for alleged civil rights violations and excessive use of force. Rafael Taboada filed a complaint against the Town of Cicero Police Department in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on August 9, 2024.
The lawsuit details an incident that occurred on August 31, 2023, when Taboada was allegedly unlawfully detained and subjected to excessive force by officers from the Town of Cicero Police Department. According to the complaint, officers Martinez and Quiroz responded to a disturbance call at the intersection of 30th Street and 49th Avenue in Cicero, Illinois. Upon arrival, they encountered Taboada and conducted a pat-down search without informing him of his Miranda rights. Despite finding no evidence of wrongdoing, the officers handcuffed Taboada and continued to question him without advising him of his rights.
Taboada's ordeal escalated when Officer Martinez allegedly placed him in a chokehold, slammed him to the ground, and re-handcuffed him after he had been briefly released. The complaint states that this use of force was unwarranted as Taboada posed no threat to the officers or public safety. "Grow up and be accountable for your actions," Officer Martinez reportedly told Taboada during the encounter.
The situation further deteriorated at the police station where Taboada claims he was assaulted by multiple officers while in custody. Correctional Officer Delgado allegedly pulled Taboada's arms backward with such force that it caused a fracture in his right hand. Officers Marquez and Diaz are also accused of using excessive force during this incident.
Taboada asserts that these actions were part of a broader pattern of misconduct within the Town of Cicero Police Department, which he claims has failed to adequately train, supervise, or discipline its officers. He argues that this systemic failure has emboldened officers to act with impunity.
In addition to seeking compensatory damages exceeding $50 million for physical injuries, emotional distress, humiliation, and deprivation of constitutional rights, Taboada is also pursuing punitive damages against individual officers involved in his arrest and detention.
Representing Rafael Taboada is Koch & Associates P.C., while Judge Kristyna C. Ryan presides over the case under Case No: 1:24-cv-07026.