Chicago cops accused of brutally beating man because he's gay

A gay Chicago man has filed a federal lawsuit alleging two police officers beat and denied him his civil rights solely because of his sexuality. Alexander Ruppert, 35, says he was beaten nearly unconscious while the cops hurled anti-gay remarks at him and then was placed in a holding cell for two days without food or water. The lawsuit claims he was removed by the two officers from the Uptown Lounge following an altercation on Mar. 5 and placed in a squad car. He was not initially charged with any offense and was not handcuffed, court papers say. The suit says that Ruppert then was driven to deserted area behind a theater where he was beaten while the officers called him a "faggot" and other derogatory remarks. At a news conference on June 14, Ruppert's attorney, Jon Erickson, said the cops stopped the beating when Ruppert told them he had AIDS. Ruppert was then taken to an area hospital where he received 16 stitches for injuries to his face and head. The lawsuit says that following that he was taken to the Foster Avenue police station, held for 48 hours without food or water. The court papers say that Ruppert was forced to drink from a toilet. He was charged with resisting arrest and aggravated battery against a police officer, and held for a week in the Cook County Jail, until he could make a $50,000 bond. Erickson said the felony charges were dropped last month after Ruppert agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge. A spokesperson for the Cook County prosecutor told the Chicago Tribune that the felony charges had been dropped because the officers did not want to testify in court. "It is not only a crime against an individual. It is a crime against a community," Erickson told reporters. "This was a hate crime disguised as police work." The lawsuit names officers Vincent Torres and Kent Pemberton and the City of Chicago. Spokespersons for the Chicago Police Department and the City said they have not seen the lawsuit and did not want to comment. Torres and Pemberton remain on duty.