Bodycam footage of a confrontation between a Chicago police officer and a pedestrian walking her dog has been released. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) released the video on Wednesday showing Officer Bruce Dyker, badge number 19236, approaching Nikkita Brown as she walked her dog on North Avenue Beach at Chicago’s Lincoln Park around midnight on Aug. 28.
The bodycam’s audio appears to have been switched on when Officer Dyker exits his police vehicle to tell Brown to leave the park. When Brown, who starts to walk away from the officer, asks him to back up and respect her space because he doesn’t have a mask on, he proceeds to follow her closely while instructing her to exit the park.
The incident escalates further when Brown tells the officer she feels threatened and stops to make a call on her cell phone. Officer Dyker aggressively grabs Brown as she screams for him to let go before the bodycam goes dark. After the physical altercation, the bodycam turns back on to Brown asking for Officer Dyker’s name and badge number. A rattled Brown was able to leave the park alive.
That night, Officer Dyker had approached three other groups of people, although there were no audio recordings to confirm the exchanges with the other pedestrians. Attorneys representing Brown are calling the incident a case of racial profiling that has caused Brown to suffer emotional trauma. Officer Dyker is currently on desk duty as the CPD investigates.
Nikkita Brown’s 911 Call:
Over the span of Officer Dyker’s 20-plus year career, he has received 11 complaints claiming excessive use of force and 24 allegations that consist of false arrest, verbal abuse, and operation and/or personnel violations. With the exception of three disciplinary actions that resulted in suspension, most of the allegations were deemed unfounded or Officer Dyker was exonerated with no further action taken.
Watch the Bodycam Footage Below:
