CPD officer found not guilty of sexually abusing woman after shoplifting arrest
A Chicago police officer has been found not guilty of groping a woman while she was handcuffed in a holding cell after she was arrested for shoplifting in 2023.
Following a bench trial, Stephan Shaw, 33, on Monday was acquitted of multiple felony counts, including aggravated criminal sexual abuse, custodial sexual misconduct, aggravated battery, and official misconduct.
Cook County prosecutors have said Shaw was one of the officers who arrested a woman for shoplifting in May of 2023.
While she was handcuffed to a metal bar in a holding cell, prosecutors said Shaw made several sexually suggestive comments about her, groped her over her clothing, and stuck his hand inside her shorts and touched her inappropriately.
Before releasing her from custody, prosecutors said Shaw used his phone to look her up on Facebook, and when she later reached out to ask him about her next court date, he asked her about getting pizza together, and she responded with a heart emoji.
The woman later told her mother about the incident, and they reported it to police. She has filed a federal lawsuit, accusing Shaw of subjecting her "to a barrage of sexually explicit comments and propositions" and repeatedly putting her hands down her pants while she was in custody.
After his arrest, Shaw was relieved of his police powers and ordered to surrender his firearms. Police said he remains relieved of his police powers and is assigned to the alternate response section at the 1st District station. The unit handles phone calls for non-emergency reports to police.