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Death of man beaten by North Chicago police classified as homicide
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The Rev. Jesse Jackson, far left, stands with Gloria Carr, center, mother of Darrin Hanna, as she addresses Attorney Laura Scarry, far right, who is representing the North Chicago police officers involved in the arrest of Hanna, after a news conference held in North Chicago on April 27, 2012. (Keri Wiginton/Chicago Tribune / April 27, 2012)
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Lake County Coroner Thomas Rudd has reversed his office’s ruling from “undetermined” to “homicide” in the case of a man who died after North Chicago police restrained him and shocked him with a Taser.
Rudd cited unspecified “new information” in changing the manner of 45-year-old Darrin “Dagwood” Hanna’s death in November 2011. After last year’s election, Rudd took over the office from former Coroner Artis Yancey, who listed the manner of death as undetermined and ruled the causes of death included "physical trauma and restraint" and Taser shocks he suffered as officers intervened in an alleged domestic incident Nov. 6, 2011 at his home.
Yancey cited other factors in the death, including Hanna’s drug use, high blood pressure and poor kidney function. He survived at a hospital for a week after his confrontation with police before dying of what Yancey ruled was multiple organ failure connected with his sickle cell trait.
Rudd said in a statement: "Homicide occurs when a person's death results from a volitional act committed by another person to cause fear, harm, or death. Intent to cause death is a common element, but is not required for classification as a homicide. It must be emphasized that the classification of homicide for the purposes of death investigation is a neutral term and neither indicates nor implies criminal intent, which remains within the province of legal processes.”
Hanna’s death touched off a firestorm of protest in North Chicago, as many arrestees joined his family in complaining about alleged brutality by police in the lakefront city south of Waukegan. Mayor Leon Rockingham Jr. quickly placed Chief Michael Newsome on paid leave and he retired within months of the incident. Several lawsuits alleging police brutality are pending.
“I’m glad to see the wheels of justice are turning,” said Hanna’s cousin, Ralph Peterson. “We’re overwhelmed because we’ve been saying it was homicide since 2011. Here it is 2013 and they’re just now realizing it.”
dhinkel@tribune.com
rmccoppin@tribune.com
Twitter: @chicagobreaking
Rudd cited unspecified “new information” in changing the manner of 45-year-old Darrin “Dagwood” Hanna’s death in November 2011. After last year’s election, Rudd took over the office from former Coroner Artis Yancey, who listed the manner of death as undetermined and ruled the causes of death included "physical trauma and restraint" and Taser shocks he suffered as officers intervened in an alleged domestic incident Nov. 6, 2011 at his home.
Yancey cited other factors in the death, including Hanna’s drug use, high blood pressure and poor kidney function. He survived at a hospital for a week after his confrontation with police before dying of what Yancey ruled was multiple organ failure connected with his sickle cell trait.
Rudd said in a statement: "Homicide occurs when a person's death results from a volitional act committed by another person to cause fear, harm, or death. Intent to cause death is a common element, but is not required for classification as a homicide. It must be emphasized that the classification of homicide for the purposes of death investigation is a neutral term and neither indicates nor implies criminal intent, which remains within the province of legal processes.”
Hanna’s death touched off a firestorm of protest in North Chicago, as many arrestees joined his family in complaining about alleged brutality by police in the lakefront city south of Waukegan. Mayor Leon Rockingham Jr. quickly placed Chief Michael Newsome on paid leave and he retired within months of the incident. Several lawsuits alleging police brutality are pending.
“I’m glad to see the wheels of justice are turning,” said Hanna’s cousin, Ralph Peterson. “We’re overwhelmed because we’ve been saying it was homicide since 2011. Here it is 2013 and they’re just now realizing it.”
dhinkel@tribune.com
rmccoppin@tribune.com
Twitter: @chicagobreaking
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-north-chicago-darrin-hanna-death-20130122,0,5703804.story
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