Crime & Safety

'You're Not F--- American,' Cop Shouts as Kneeling, Cuffed Woman is Smacked in the Head

Shocking security camera footage is part of a federal lawsuit filed against the city of Chicago, claiming excessive force and a hate crime took place during a 2013 police raid.

The Independent Police Review Authority is investigating several allegations — including hate crime and excessive force — against Chicago Police officers who raided a tanning salon last summer.

The conduct in question came to public light in a federal lawsuit filed against the city last week by Jianqing “Jessica” Klyzek, 32, manager of  Copper Tan and Spa in Noble Square.

Police suspected the spa was a house of prostitution.

Find out what's happening in Lakeviewwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Security camera footage of the raid was sent to the Chicago Sun-Times by Klyzek's attorney, Torreya Hamilton.

The lawsuit claims:

Find out what's happening in Lakeviewwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  • an officer struck a handcuffed, kneeling Klyzek in the head while standing behind her
  • an officer yelled at Klyzek: “I’ll put you in a UPS box and send you back to wherever the f--- you came from," before telling her that she and her family would be murdered by the owner of the salon
  • Another officer screamed at her: “You’re not f------ American!”

Klyzek, a naturalized U.S. citizen from China, stands 5-foot-2-inches and weighs 110 pounds. The lawsuit also alleges that the officers — some of whom said Klyzek scratched and bit them — tried to frame Klyzek as a cover-up for their behavior.

“The alleged comments, if true, are reprehensible and completely intolerable in our police department,” police spokesman Adam Collins told federal courts reporter Kim Janssen of the Chicago Sun-Times. “We have codes of conduct that apply to officers, and if the allegations are proven accurate appropriate action will be taken.”

At the time, Klyzek was charged with aggravated battery of the police officers. But Cook County Judge Paul Pavlus found no probable cause for her arrest and dismissed the case.

The Sun-Times reports that officers tried to pursue charges against Klyzek again, but after the assistant state's attorneys saw the video they dropped the prosecution.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.