Village of Oak Lawn to pay $825K in settlement with man punched by cop

Village of Oak Lawn Settles $825K Lawsuit with Man Beaten by Police

The Village of Oak Lawn has agreed to pay $825,000 to settle a federal lawsuit filed by Hadi Abuatelah, a 17-year-old Palestinian American who was brutally punched and kicked by three village police officers in July 2022. The payout includes $250,000 paid out-of-pocket by the village, while the remainder will be covered by the village's insurance carrier.

Abuatelah had been pulled over for allegedly having marijuana in his car, but he ran from the officers, leading to a high-speed chase and his eventual arrest. During the stop, police claimed that Abuatleh had run from them, prompting the aggressive arrest. Officers found a loaded pistol in his bag, which Abuatleh later pleaded guilty to as part of a plea deal in juvenile court.

The incident sparked widespread outrage within the Arab American community, leading Abuatelah's family to file a civil rights lawsuit against the officers and the village. Oak Lawn Mayor Terry Vorderer stated that the village settled the case begrudgingly due to the current climate of criticism directed at law enforcement and the pursuit of criminal charges against officers.

Village officials maintained their innocence, claiming that no fault was found in the actions of the police department. However, lawyers representing Abuatleh expressed outrage over what they described as an unreasonable use of force by the officers, citing unnecessary physical violence against a juvenile. The settlement is seen as a crucial moment of accountability for Abuatleh's injuries.

In 2023, one Oak Lawn police officer was indicted on charges related to the incident, but those charges were dropped in December 2024 due to insufficient evidence.

This whole thing gives me chills . I think it's crazy that the village had to pay out such a huge sum just to avoid being sued even further. It's like they knew they were going down and wanted to settle quietly so no one would say they messed up too much . The fact that Abuatleh was running away from the cops because he thought they had done something wrong already is wild . I don't blame him for fighting back, either - three guys attacking a teenager is just crazy . But still, it's sad that this had to happen in the first place. The settlement might be a step forward, but I hope it brings some real change to how police interact with communities .

Ugh , can you believe this? The village is finally paying up for their reckless cops, but I mean, it's about bloody time! $825k is a drop in the bucket considering what that poor kid went through . I'm glad his family got some closure, but we should be demanding more from our law enforcement agencies. It's not just about accountability, it's about preventing these types of incidents from happening in the first place .

And can we talk about how the village is trying to spin this? "Begrudgingly" settled because of criticism? Give me a break . If they were truly innocent, why did they need to settle so quickly? And what's with the insurance carrier covering most of it? It's like they're trying to sweep this under the rug .

I'm glad one officer was indicted, but dropped charges due to lack of evidence? That's just weak . We need to hold our cops accountable for their actions, even if it means taking a hard look at ourselves as a society .

just read about this lawsuit settlement... $825k seems like a lot . i feel bad for the guy who got beaten by cops, he was just driving and didn't even have weed or anything... https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/oak-lawn-settles-lawsuit-with-man-beaten-by-police-825000/ [NBC Chicago]

i think its good that the village is paying out-of-pocket $250k tho . makes me wonder how much they were planning to pay in insurance and stuff... also, why did one cop get indicted but charges dropped? what about the others who weren't indicted?

anyway, glad it's settled now... hope hadi abuatleh is doing ok . just thinking about how this could've been prevented if cops were more careful

I'm so glad they finally settled this lawsuit . The amount of $825K is still pretty crazy though . I mean, can you even imagine what Hadi Abuatelah went through that day? Being brutally beaten by police and then having the cops claim he was running from them . It's just unacceptable.

And to think that the village settled it begrudgingly because of all the criticism they're getting . I get it, accountability is important, but at the same time, this feels like a whole lot of money for one incident . Not to mention the fact that an officer was indicted and then had their charges dropped in December 2024 .

I do wish there were more concrete measures taken by the village to ensure something like this never happens again though . Like, have they implemented any new training programs or protocols for police officers? That would be a great way to show that they're committed to change .

This settlement seems like a necessary step towards ensuring accountability, given the severity of Hadi Abuatelah's injuries . The fact that three village police officers engaged in an aggressive arrest and excessive use of force against a juvenile is alarming . As a society, we must acknowledge that such incidents are unacceptable and strive for reform . While I'm glad that the village has agreed to pay out-of-pocket, I'd like to see more concrete actions taken to prevent similar incidents in the future . The village's claim of no fault found in the police department's actions raises questions about the effectiveness of internal investigations . Nevertheless, this settlement marks an important moment towards holding those responsible accountable .

this whole thing is crazy... i mean, you gotta feel bad for that 17 yr old dude who got brutalized by the cops , and now the village has gotta pay him a small fortune $825k is a lot of cash, and it's like, you can't put a price on someone's well-being, right? anyway, i guess it's good that the village finally acknowledged what happened and took responsibility... but at the same time, it's weird that they didn't admit to anything wrong before all this drama went down

I'm so bummed that it took this long for someone to be held accountable . As a fan of justice and equality, I think it's crazy that Hadi was treated like that by the police - especially considering he was just 17! The fact that they used excessive force on him, and one of them even pulled a gun on him, is just shocking .

I'm glad his family got some closure with this settlement, but it's still not enough . It's like the village wanted to sweep this under the rug until public pressure mounted . And now that one officer was let off due to lack of evidence, I worry that no real change is gonna come out of this .

What really gets me is that the police department claims they did nothing wrong , but we all know that doesn't add up . As a society, we need to keep pushing for accountability and real change - not just empty apologies or settlements .

I don’t usually comment but... I think it’s crazy that someone would get $825K just because they got beat up by cops . Like, I get that Abuatleh deserved some kind of compensation for what happened to him, but come on, that's a small fortune! And the fact that the village had to settle so quickly just to avoid more drama or criticism is pretty wild.

It’s also weird that Oak Lawn Mayor Vorderer said they settled begrudgingly because of all the heat being directed at law enforcement. Like, I don’t get it... if they’re innocent, why not fight this in court and prove it? And what about Abuatleh's lawyers saying the cops used way too much force? Can't we just have a fair investigation or something?

Anyway, I guess it’s all good now that the settlement is done . Just hope no one else has to go through what Abuatleh went through

OMG, finally some justice for that poor kid ! I'm glad the village of Oak Lawn is taking responsibility and paying out $825k for what happened. It's crazy how one wrong move can lead to such a brutal beating . The fact that they're settling this case begrudgingly because of all the criticism towards law enforcement makes me think there was definitely some fault in the way things went down . And poor Hadi, having to deal with all that trauma at such a young age... it's just not right . I'm glad his family is getting some closure from this settlement .

idk what's worse, the fact that they got away with assault charges or the village is shelling out $825K like it's nothing ... Abuatelah's case was a mess from the start - running from cops after being pulled over for having weed in his car? sounds suspicious to me. and now we're supposed to feel sorry for these officers 'cause they got "criticized" online? newsflash: using excessive force is never okay, period.

this whole thing reeks of cover-up, you know? like, what really went down that day with Abuatleh? the village is paying $825k to keep quiet about it, and now they're claiming no fault? meanwhile, that one officer got off scot-free last year after only a month of trial... something fishy is going on here. and don't even get me started on the "climate of criticism" excuse - just a fancy way of saying the village doesn't wanna take responsibility for their actions.

I think it's a total overreaction! Like, $825k is a lot of money, but you'd think a teen would've thought twice before resisting arrest. I mean, what did he expect? The cops are just doing their job. And the village is paying out because they don't want to deal with all the bad PR and potential lawsuits. It's not like the cops were completely in the wrong... but still, $825k seems a bit excessive

OMG, this settlement payout is HUGE ! $825K is a lot of $$$, and I'm glad Hadi Abuatleh's family gets some justice for what happened to him . The village trying to downplay the whole thing by saying no fault was found in the police department? Nope, not buying it . Three cops physically beating up a 17-yr-old is totally unacceptable . I'm glad they're holding them accountable, even if it's just in the form of a hefty settlement . The fact that one cop got indicted but had those charges dropped because of 'insufficient evidence' is wild . It just goes to show how hard it can be for those in power to get held responsible for their actions .

I'm glad they're finally taking responsibility for what happened to Hadi. The whole thing sounds super suspicious - runs him over, then beats him up... What was that all about? And why did it take so long for anyone in power to say sorry? $825K is a lot of cash just because they didn't wanna deal with the drama. I mean, Abuatleh's life will never be the same after what those cops did to him... At least now his family gets some closure and justice (kinda). The village should've taken responsibility from the start. Now it's like "oops, we messed up"...

This settlement is like, super frustrating for me... I'm all about promoting mindfulness and self-love, but situations like this are just really harsh. A 17-year-old kid gets pulled over, runs from the cops, and then gets brutally beaten by three officers? That's just not right . And to think that one of those officers was indicted in 2023, only for the charges to get dropped... it's like justice got lost in the system .

I'm all about holding people accountable, but this case just feels like a big ol' mess . The village settled for $825K, which is pretty cool I guess, but it's not like they're acknowledging that what happened was wrong . It's all just so... complicated . Anyway, I'm just glad that Abuatleh gets to move forward with his life and not have to deal with this stress anymore . Can't we all just get along?

man... $825k is like a crazy amount of cash, right? i'm not surprised tho, since police brutality has been a huge problem for ages. and it's like, what even is the point of having laws and rules if they're just gonna get bent around to suit the powers that be?

the thing is, Abuatelah's family was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but still... he got beaten up by 3 cops for allegedly having a pistol in his bag, which he later pleaded guilty to. and now the village has gotta pay him $250k out of pocket? that's insane!

i'm not saying the police officers were totally innocent or anything, but come on... can't we just have some basic accountability without throwing everyone under the bus?

Ugh, can you believe this? The village is paying a small fortune to cover up their own mistakes. Like, who needs $825K to settle a lawsuit? It's not like they're making it back from the payout or anything... Meanwhile, Hadi Abuatleh was brutalized by those cops and now he's got some serious PTSD to deal with. The village is saying they didn't do anything wrong, but we all know that's just cop speak for "we messed up big time". And what really gets me is that the officers were only indicted in 2023 and then their charges got dropped because of lack of evidence... Talk about a slap on the wrist!

omg I cant even imagine how terrifying that must've been for Hadi Abuatelah like what if you're just driving and suddenly these cops start chasing you down the road? my heart is still racing thinking about it anyway, $825k is a lot of money but can we really say it's worth it? I mean, on one hand, the village is taking responsibility for their actions which is kinda cool but on the other hand, what's being done to prevent this kind of thing from happening again? shouldnt they be focusing on de-escalation techniques or something instead of just throwing around physical force? also, I'm curious about the 2023 police officer who got indicted... did they actually have a chance at clearing their name or was it just always going to be too much?

Man this gotta be super rough on Hadi Abuatelah ! He was just a teenager having some issues with his car and next thing he knows, three cops are chasing him down like he's the fugitive of the world . No wonder he ran... wouldn't you? The whole situation is just wild, especially since he ended up getting beat by the cops . $825K seems like a lot to me, but I guess it's better than nothing . It's about time someone held those officers accountable though . Poor Hadi, he was already dealing with some family drama and then this... . Anyway, I hope he can move forward from this and focus on his life #JusticeForHadi #PoliceAccountability #StopTheViolence