Emotional testimony from young brothers in trial of lawsuit over wrong Chicago Police raid
Wednesday marked the third day of the trial for the lawsuit brought by an innocent family who are suing the City of Chicago after police officers wrongly raided their home in 2017.
The lawsuit accuses Chicago Police of using excessive force on children. The Mendez family's two children, Peter and Jack Mendez, had to face tough questions from city attorneys Wednesday.
Peter and Jack Mendez were 9 and 5 years old, respectively, at the time of the raid on their family's home in the 2300 block of South Damen Avenue on the evening of Nov. 7, 2017. They were questioned on events from the moment Chicago Police burst into their home, to the time police left.
The brothers were very emotional at times, as they described the trauma they still live with today.
The now-17-year-old Peter's voice broke at times as he recalled the moments where he said Chicago Police officers pointed guns at him and his family, and how his father was handcuffed at gunpoint in front of him and his younger brother.
"You banged in our door. You pointed guns at us. I saw my dad in handcuffs," Peter said in court. "That image can't be undone to you."
The boys' trauma is also on trial. Jack, who is now 13, took the stand Wednesday holding a stuffed animal for emotional support. His attorney, Al Hofeld Jr., asked him to demonstrate an officer's gun being pointed.
"How was he holding the gun?" Jack's attorney asked.
"Like that," Jack said as he demonstrated from the witness stand, with arms stretched out.
During cross-examination, the brothers were asked repeatedly to recount specific details — including how many seconds the guns were pointed at them.
Anjanette Young has also been in court every day to support the family — especially the children — emotionally. Young is the innocent social worker was the victim of a high-profile wrong police raid in 2019 — she was handcuffed naked and in terror.
Young gave Jack Mendez the stuffed animal to help his anxiety on the witness stand.
"They're really nervous and scared about having to sit on the stand and tell this, and relive this story," Young said.
Jack was asked by his attorney if he ever had bad dreams after the raid. He responded, "Yes."
"My dad being taken away and my mother being shot, and my brother and me being separated and put in foster homes," Jack said in describing the dreams.
The family is trying to convince the jury that police used excessive force and traumatized them. The city denies this.
There is certain known information in the case that U.S. District Judge Franklin U. Valderrama ruled may not be brought up to the jury. For example, the jury cannot hear about an Illinois state law passed in Peter Mendez's name that requires more training for officers to deal with kids in traumatic situations like this.
Late in the day, another child from a different wrong raid by the CPD testified, as the Mendez attorneys worked to establish a systemic pattern.
Over the next few days, experts, and the police officers involved, will take the stand too.
