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Oak Lawn Approves $825,000 Settlement in 2022 Teen Arrest Case

Board members said insurer pressure drove the payout, not an admission of fault.

Overview

  • Trustees voted 6-0 on Tuesday to resolve Hadi Abuatelah’s civil suit stemming from a videotaped arrest in which officers struck him and used a Taser.
  • The village will pay $250,000, with its insurance carrier covering the remainder of the settlement.
  • Under the agreement, Officers Patrick O’Donnell, Mark Hollingsworth and Brandon Collins must negotiate separate terms with the plaintiff before the federal case is dismissed.
  • Criminal charges against O’Donnell were dropped in December 2024 after a change in the Cook County state’s attorney, following his 2023 indictment on aggravated battery and official misconduct.
  • Prosecutors said a pistol was recovered from Abuatelah’s bag and he later pleaded guilty in juvenile court to a weapons charge, while CAIR and other advocates criticized the deal as undermining accountability.