Cermak Hospital medical records recently received in response to an application by gay-bashing victim Terry Phalen and the Chicago Anti-Bashing Network (CABN) have confirmed that Terry received “broken bones” while at Cook County Jail. On October 27th two Cook County sheriff’s deputies brutally beat him and shouted anti-gay slurs while a third guard looked on. Shortly after the beating, Terry was treated at the jail’s Cermak Hospital and verbally told by a physician that in addition to the bruises over much of his body, he had hairline fractures of both wrists and two ribs.
CABN is upset that while Cermak released a flood of medical reports dated August 1999 and late November through December 1999, they continue to withhold
the most relevant records dated October 27th thru early November. Nonetheless, the County’s apparent stonewalling was not 100% effective as amongst the reports they did release, they inadvertently included a reported dated November 4, 1999 which refers to Terry’s “broken bones” (see attached).
Last month Terry was verbally told by Tom Swaine of the Cook County Inspector General’s Office that his charges were sustained by that office, and that the two principal officers in the attack were transferred to another area as punishment. Terry and CABN find it insulting that management considers this appropriate punishment for a hate crime including assault and battery, and is planning to demonstrate at the next Cook County Merit Board meeting, 9 a.m., Thursday, January 27th at 69 W. Washington, Suite 1100, to demand that all three officers be fired. The Merit Board, which has a long-standing record of covering up for brutal and corrupt officers, is the branch of County government charged with disciplining Cook County Sheriff’s Deputies.
For more information, or to arrange interviews with Terry, please call 773.878.4781
