Family claims police too violent during traffic stop; arrest report tells different story

CHICAGO (WGN) — A Chicago woman alleges her husband was left with a broken nose and two black eyes following a traffic stop on the city’s west side earlier this week, but an arrest report says the man declined to follow orders, fled from police, and injured one of the arresting officers.

Patricia Emory shared video with WGN she says she took Tuesday after her husband, Marquis Emory, was pulled over near West Race and North Laramie avenues in the city’s Austin neighborhood. According to the arrest report, Emory, whose license is revoked, was pulled over for a broken taillight.

“I was actually on the phone with him, he was going to get some cigarettes,” Patricia Emory said. “He said, “They pulled me over, the taillight is, why you don’t tell me the taillight was out? I said, ‘Well I didn’t know the taillight was out.’ He said, ‘The police pulled me over, but I gave them my insurance.'”

According to an arrest report, officers asked Emory for his driver’s license and insurance, to which he only produced an insurance company card with his name and address on it. Officers discovered he had a revoked license due to a previous case and asked him to step out of the vehicle.

According to the CPD report, Emory was asked repeatedly to exit his green GMC van but refused the verbal commands. Police alleged Emory drove off.

Patricia Emory claims her husband was scared, which is why he took off and drove to their house, where officers located him.

“As I was trying to drive to meet him, because I have a license and insurance, I’m coming and the police is coming head on, but Marquis is in the yard,” Patricia Emory said. “Two officers jumped out, saying put his hands, and I just started recording. They asked him to get out the car, and he’s like ‘get out the car for what, you know?’”

Patricia Emory shared a nearly two-and-a-half-minute video with WGN, which does not show the beginning of the interaction.

She claims the 39-year-old was punched by officers after he was pulled out of the van and that he did not swing first or provoke officers’ response.

The arrest report disputes the claim that Emory did not do anything to initiate the interaction from escalating.

“Driver refused multiple verbal commands to step out of the vehicle,” the report reads. “[Officer] reached into the vehicle’s driver side window in an attempt to open the door to which driver grabbed [officer’s] pinky and ring finger and bent them in the opposite direction.”

According to the arrest report, an officer opened the door of the unlocked vehicle, but Emory was still refusing to come out after being given several verbal commands.

“[Officer] attempted to place the offender into custody, at which time arrestee pulled his arms and legs away from [officer] flailing his arms away,” the report says.

Patricia Emory can be heard on the video yelling at police not to touch Emory and then telling him not to resist. Several family members were screaming as officers could be heard instructing Emory several times to stop resisting.

The arrest report said that officers used an emergency takedown to control Emory and that while on the ground, Emory was pulling his body and arms away “in an attempt to defeat the arrest.”

“My kids in the background just screaming and hollering, telling them to stop punching their dad. It was traumatizing. It was unbelievably scary,” Patricia Emory said. “They’re wondering why a traffic stop causes their daddy to be still incarcerated.”

Marquis Emory was hospitalized after the encounter and later booked into the Cook County Jail.

Emory is charged with nine counts, including aggravated battery on a peace officer, four counts resisting or obstructing arrest, driving on a revoked license, fleeing and attempting to elude an officer, and one count of sale or possession of a deadly weapon.

According to a police report, a white and black metal pocketknife measuring approximately 3.2 inches was found in the inner pocket of Emory’s jacket.

“It wasn’t even as long as two of your fingers,” Patricia Emory said.

Patricia Emory said she wants justice for what happened.

“A simple thing as a traffic stop causes him to have a broken nose, two black eyes, wounded on his whole left side,” she said.

A judge on Thursday ordered Emory released on home confinement with electronic monitoring.

WGN reached out to the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA), which confirms it received a complaint and is looking into it.

Chicago police confirmed an arrest and charges against Emory, but did not comment further on the matter.