http://www.bnd.com/news/crime/story/311830.html
EAST ST. LOUIS --A 19-year-old East St. Louis man says he was wrongfully
beaten by police, but the police chief denies any wrongdoing.
Nathan Jackson was charged with battery and resisting a police officer
April 5 at Club Onyx.
"They beat my son up. He was all bloody. We had to go to the emergency
room," said his mother, Connie Jackson.
Nathan Jackson said he was approached by a bouncer who works at the club.
The man alleged that Jackson owed him some money.
When Jackson told the bouncer he didn't owe him any money, "He put his
hands in my pockets to search me," Jackson said.
Jackson said he pushed the unnamed bouncer off him and he and the man got
into a fight. Then two East St. Louis police officers who were inside the
club responded. One of them grabbed Jackson and took him to the back of
the club while they let the bouncer leave the building, Jackson said.
But when Jackson saw the bouncer outside the club, the two started
fighting again, pu****ng the bodyguard into one of the officer's car.
"He (the first officer) started stomping and kicking me to the ground. The
other officer held me to the ground. I managed to get up, and I ran. One
of the officers started chasing me. He grabbed me in the back of the head
and contrinued to kick me.
Connie Jackson said the officers went too far.
"They could have arrested him if he did something wrong. But they didn't
have to beat him," she said.
The family filed a complaint with Police Chief Michael Baxton, who said he
is investigating the matter, but so far he doesn't see anything his
officers did wrong.
"The young man appears to have been resisting arrest. He and his family
filed a complaint. Like in any other case with any other citizen, we're
investigating."
Connie Jackson said: "We don't want this kind of thing to happen to any
other citizen. My son should be able to go to any club he wants to without
being harassed by anyone."
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