Pregnant Black woman alleges Chicago cop punched her

Pregnant Black woman alleges Chicago cop punched her

 Members of the Fruit of Islam from Mosque Maryam, (L-R) Robert 22X, Harold Muhammad and Edward Muhammad spoke with Nicola Robinson, who is eight months pregnant, after she alleges she was punched in the stomach and then verbally assaulted by a Chicago police officer May 15. By her side is the unborn baby’s father Anthony Hopson. (Courtesy of The Final Call)

Nicola Robinson, From The Final Call

      Yet another incident threatens to escalate tensions between the Chicago Police Department and the Black community.

Nicola Robinson, an 8-month pregnant Black woman recently spoke with members of the Nation of Islam after a Chicago police officer is alleged to have verbally and physically assaulted her.

Ms. Robinson said she observed several police officers were chasing a suspected drug dealer on foot on the West Side May 15. They were unable to catch up with him and he got away. When she witnessed him escape, Ms. Robinson said she along with others laughed. One officer then approached her, shoved her while she held her 1-year-old son, and then punched her in her right side.

According to Ms. Robinson, surveillance cameras recorded it when the officer punched her. Not only did he physically assault her, Ms. Robinson said he also used racial slurs.

“You Black b-tch, you better be glad I didn’t hit you hard enough to make you lose your f—kin’ baby,” the officer reportedly said after punching her.

Monique Dickerson, Ms. Robinson’s sister also heard the officer using racial slurs. Anthony Hopson, the unborn baby’s father was at work, but once he found out what happened, he immediately went to West Suburban hospital where she was taken to check on her condition. She was treated and released a few hours later.

Being in a late term pregnancy, she was not up to a full interview, however, The Final Call will be following the investigation being conducted by the Independent Police Review Authority, the body set up in 2007 to investigate allegations of police misconduct, whether it is allegation involves excessive force, coercion through violence, or verbal abuse. The officer has not yet been publicly identified.

Another brutality incident makes news

In another incident involving another pregnant Black woman, Charlena Michelle Cooks, who was also eight months pregnant, was handcuffed behind her back, wrestled to the ground and arrested for refusing to show her identification to a Barstow, California police officer.

Video of the incident is being widely circulated via the Internet. Ms. Cooks’ arrest was captured on the officer’s body camera. According to the ACLU, the incident occurred just after she had dropped her second grade daughter at school.

Cooks was charged with resisting arrest, but a judge later dismissed those charges.