on sale now at amazon

on sale now at amazon
paperback or ebook

Sue Chicago Police, Alleging Drunk Off-Duty Cop Attacked Them



The recent release of 911 call audio could help a Chicago couple make their case in a lawsuit alleging police misconduct.

Heather Rzany and her boyfriend Luis Cordero, Jr. say they were accosted by Chicago Police Officer Chris Gofron on June 26, 2010 while Gofron was off duty and intoxicated, WGN reports.

The couple says Gofron attacked them, grabbing Rzany by her neck and sticking a gun in her mouth, hitting Cordero with his weapon and leaving both bloodied, according to photos allegedly taken after the incident.

In 911 call audio released Tuesday by the pair's attorney Gregory Kulis, exactly two years after the call was made, Rzany can be heard explaining the situation, via NBC Chicago:

"An off-duty cop is very drunk...He just assaulted us and put a gun to my face."

Working with Kulis and attorney David Lipschultz, the couple worked for two years to identify the officer so they could file a suit against the city, knowing only that the man was assigned to the city's Englewood police district, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. In February Rzany was able to examine hundreds of officer photos and identify her alleged attacker, which the police department identified on June 14 as Officer Chris Godon, currently under investigation by the Independent Police Review Authority.

The suit claims that responding officers talked to Gofron, then left the scene, CBS Chicago reports. Gofron was previously sued for excessive force by the families of two Englewood juveniles who ultimately settled with the city.

Razny and Cordero's lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, according to the Sun-Times.