CPD THROWS HOT COFFEE AT RIDER

Posted on May 31 2017





 

On January 21, 2017 a group of stunt riders were riled up when a video clip from one of the riders partaking in a Chicago ride shows a police officer angrily throw a hot cup of coffee at the riders, hitting the individual who was filming on the downtown Chicago streets. The video posted on ViralHog’s youtube channel shows footage from an individual who was riding with his group, Chicago United Riders, a community for Chicago motorcyclists to get together ride and enjoy each other being smacked with a cup of coffee thrown from a Chicago Police Officer attempting to deter the stunt riders. The group was participating in an event, The Chicago United Winter Ride, where motorcyclists took to the streets to make the most of the freakishly warm spring like weather Chicago experienced this January.

 

 


The riders met at The Launch Pad on W Higgins Ave in Chicago before somewhere along the route on what appears to be Hubbard street downtown the rider was blasted with the Chicago Police Officers morning cup of Joe. The leader of the group was seen doing a wheelie down then center yellow stripping when the officer makes his way out into the street to confront the group. The rider even motioned to the officer and told him “[the riders] will keep it down” referring to the stunting. The police officer clearly was not having it still. He proceeded to lob his hot cup of coffee straight into the lap of the filming rider splashing him in his face and covering his camera.

 

 

 


The rider stated his helmet visor was open upon being struck but it is apparent he was not seriously injured or burnt by the hot coffee. Other riders joked with him immediately following the incident and the rider made it clear to the officer his misjudgment was all caught on camera. The cop made no other visible attempts to deter the riders or control the situation. Though the incident was clearly not acceptable, this did not prevent them from enjoying the rest of the ride. The rider, clearly upset, still continued on the ride and did not retaliate against the officer. He knew he had clear obvious evidence that would prove the officer was in the wrong and he made it clear he was going to do something about it. The video soon went viral and many news sources, local and national picked up on it. The video quickly made it’s way to the Chicago Police Department where it was reviewed. A police spokesperson then told the Chicago Tribune’s Elyssa Cherney and Peter Matuszak that Chicago Police Department’s Officer Robert Markvart was suspended from the department for 5-days as a result of the incident. In a quote from the Chicago Tribune, Police superintendent Eddie Johnson said, "We expect every officer to be professional (and) treat people fairly and responsibly, so to that end we'll have an investigation, an investigation has been opened up, and when it comes down to it, that officer will be held accountable and will be disciplined appropriately.” 

 

 








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