Evanston Police Plead Not Guilty in Brutal Beating of Sayyid Qadri - partially caught on tape
Two Evanston police officers pleaded not guilty Tuesday to an indictment charging them with various crimes following the alleged beating and false prosecution of a 22-year-old Sayyid Qadri after a traffic stop in March. Rookie officer Michael Yorty and 12-year veteran Gus Horemis could face up to five years in prison if found guilty of using excessive force on Sayyid Qadri in a bathroom at the north suburban police station, then pressing charges of aggravated battery to a police officer against Qadri, Cook County State's Attorney Richard A. Devine said. Qadri's attorneys say a 20-minute videotape from police security cameras captured some of what happened.Horemis stopped Sayyid Qadri, 22, on March 10 for a traffic violation. Horemis handcuffed Qadri and took him to the police station.Prosecutors say Horemis took a handcuffed Qadri into a bathroom. Yorty followed. At some point, Horemis slammed Qadri's head into a wall, prosecutors say. After leaving the bathroom, Horemis "shoved the injured and bleeding Qadri onto a bench," authorities said. Horemis also allegedly pushed and choked Qadri.. Afterward, Yorty and Horemis made false statements regarding what happened at the station, pinning the incident on Qadri and signing a complaint for aggravated battery to a police officer, Devine said. On March 18, Yorty gave false testimony under oath at a preliminary hearing before Skokie Judge Timothy Chambers. In July, prosecutors dropped all charges against Qadri[more
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