Charges against Oak Lawn police officer Patrick O’Donnell, accused of excessive force during the 2022 arrest of 17-year-old Hadi Abu-Atelah, have been dropped. The dismissal came during a Wednesday morning hearing, a day before O’Donnell’s bench trial was scheduled to begin.
State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke stated that the decision followed a review concluding insufficient evidence existed for a conviction. She emphasized the ongoing evaluation of evidence throughout criminal proceedings and stated that prosecutors had been in communication with Abu-Atelah, his family, and his attorney. This marks the first high-profile police misconduct case resolved under O’Neill Burke’s administration.
The Arab American Action Network strongly criticized the decision, alleging a grave injustice and accusing O’Neill Burke of reverting to “old-style Chicago politics of back-room dealings and cover-ups of misconduct.” The case had drawn condemnation from some Arab Americans who viewed it as evidence of police bias and overpolicing in the community. A civil rights lawsuit filed by Abu-Atelah’s family and the Council on American-Islamic Relations Chicago against the Oak Lawn officers and the village is still pending in federal court.
O’Donnell was indicted last year under the previous state’s attorney, Kim Foxx, on charges of aggravated battery and official misconduct. Bystander video showed O’Donnell repeatedly punching Abu-Atelah, who had fled a traffic stop, while officers held him on the ground. Abu-Atelah suffered facial, skull, and pelvic fractures, and brain swelling. Oak Lawn Police Chief Daniel Vittorio defended the officer’s actions, citing a loaded semiautomatic pistol found in Abu-Atelah’s bag. Abu-Atelah was subsequently charged with gun possession as a juvenile, the status of which remains unclear. He also faces a felony robbery charge stemming from a December 2023 incident.
O’Donnell’s lawyer, James McKay, had attempted to introduce evidence of the robbery charge and Abu-Atelah’s school disciplinary records at trial. He did not respond to requests for comment following the dismissal.