3rd lawsuit claims election-night police abuse

[November 24, 2008]  CHICAGO (AP) -- A third lawsuit claims Chicago police harassed black residents cheering President-elect Barack Obama's win on election night.

The latest lawsuit accuses officers of shouting expletives and discharging pepper spray at people peacefully celebrating on sidewalks and porches. The suit was filed Friday in federal court on behalf of 22 black plaintiffs.

Their attorney, Blake Horowitz, says the incident was racially motivated. He says police broke one plaintiff's cell phone when he tried to record the incident.

Two similar lawsuits were filed earlier.

The head of the city's Independent Police Review Authority, Ilana Rosenzweig, says investigators in her agency are looking at multiple allegations of police misconduct on election night.

[Associated Press]

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