Max Chantha | December 17, 2015

ILLINOIS – Despite using techniques more reminiscent of a Mafia enforcer than a law enforcement officer, Chicago police department Commander Glenn Evans has been acquitted of aggravated battery charges.

Evans had been charged for shoving his service weapon down Rickey Williams’ throat so deep that William’s later threw up blood.

Evans tackled and allegedly put his gun down Williams’ throat after claiming to have seen him holding a firearm.




He then demanded to know where Williams had put the gun – an ironic method of policing, considering having a gun in your mouth and an overwhelming fear that you are about to be shot might make it difficult to respond quickly.

Williams claims what Evan’s though was a gun had in reality been a cell phone, a claim backed up by the fact that no gun was ever found and all charges against Williams were later dropped.

Though neither police nor prosecutors could find any evidence against Williams, significant incriminating proof was levied against Evans.

Williams’ DNA was found on Evans’ gun, clearly showing that the weapon had come into contact with the victim at some point.

However, Judge Diane Cannon decided that this was insufficient and that the DNA could have gotten onto the gun while Williams was struggling with the officers – a seemingly ridiculous conclusion.

As such, the charges against Evans were dropped as well.

Commander Evans is a well-known character in Chicago, though not for good reasons. While many within law enforcement – and their accompanying apologists – claim he has helped to clean up the mean streets of Chicago, others point out that his tactics are often abusive, unfair, and even unlawful – and have done little to deter gun violence, which has seen all time highs in 2014 and 2015.

Evans has also risen through the ranks of the Chicago PD despite a staggering 45 complaints of excessive force levied against him, which many detractors point out is only possible due to the negligent culture of the department.

Such a history of violence points to the near-guaranteed likelihood that Evans did in fact put his gun in Williams’ mouth – and has escaped any form of justice yet again.

This disturbing case comes at a time when the notoriously brutal Chicago PD is under increasing scrutiny, namely for the killing of Laquan McDonald.




The city’s police have long been accused of brutality, and perhaps this newfound attention, combined with the popular advent of filming the police, will bring a fresh sense of accountability to the department.

However, it is strikingly clear that as long as people like Evans hold leadership positions, abuse and brutality will go ignored and unpunished, while department-wide reform will be an uphill struggle.

Max Chantha is a writer and investigative journalist interested in covering incidences of government injustice, at home and abroad. He is a current university student studying Global Studies and Professional Writing. Check out Max Chantha: An Independent Blog for more of his work.