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Video Shows Chicago Police Officer Beating Hawks Fan Who Threw Hot Cheese

By  Paul Biasco Ted Cox and Tanveer Ali | June 3, 2016 11:22am | Updated on June 3, 2016 12:32pm

 Terrence Clarke, 59 of Baden, Ontario, allegedly threw hot cheese at a police officer at Portillo's, 100 W. Ontario St., on June 16, after the Blackhawks defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0 in Game 6 of the finals.
Terrence Clarke, 59 of Baden, Ontario, allegedly threw hot cheese at a police officer at Portillo's, 100 W. Ontario St., on June 16, after the Blackhawks defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0 in Game 6 of the finals.
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CHICAGO — Video of Chicago police beating a man at a Portillo's hot dog restaurant the night the Blackhawks clinched the 2015 Stanley Cup was released Friday.

The video shows a Chicago police officer fighting a Canadian Blackhawks fan in the River North Portillo's after the man refused to leave the restaurant after closing.

Terrence Clarke, 59 of Baden, Ontario, threw a cup of hot cheese in the face of an off-duty police officer at Portillo's in River North, 100 W. Ontario St. on June 16, after the Blackhawks defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0 in Game 6 of the finals, police said.

The officer and Clark can be see getting into a scuffle in the video before trading punches.

Clarke was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital to be treated for serious injuries, according to the police reports, including injuries to his eye. 

Here's Where To Watch The Chicago Police Alleged Brutality Videos that were released Friday.

Warning: Graphic Video

Video allegedly showing Clarke throwing cheese at the officer.

Clarke was charged with a count of aggravated battery of a peace officer.

Khaled Shaar, the officer who is under investigation by IPRA for punching the Blackhawks fan in the face while handcuffed, has been with the police department since 1999. He was working security off-duty at the time of the clash.

The incident, which took place at 12:21 a.m., was sparked by the officer telling Clarke he had to leave the restaurant as it was closed, according to a police report included in the IPRA release. Portillo's closes at midnight.

The Blackhawks fan did not appear to be done with his meal. The officer told Clarke several times that the restaurant was closing, according the police report.

Clarke told the officer, "Do whatever the f*** you have to do, I'm not leaving" and threw the cheese, the report said.

That statement by Clarke cannot be heard in any of the videos released Friday. But Clarke can be heard saying "give me my money back."

The police report stated the officer then called 911 and removed his handcuffs from their pouch while attempting to place Clarke into custody.

The incident report states Clarke started striking the officer with closed fists and swung a chair at him, leading the officer to defend himself.

The officer struck Clarke in the head and face with his right hand — the hand in which he was holding the handcuffs.

Prosecutors dropped the aggravated battery charges against Clarke on Dec. 12.

Clarke was found guilty of misdemeanor disorderly conduct and was sentenced to six months court supervision and $414 in fines.

The video and details in the case were released as part of a massive data dump by IPRA on Friday, showing documents and videos in more than 100 Chicago police misconduct cases.

The release comes after Mayor Rahm Emanuel's appointed Police Accountability Task Force called on the Chicago Police Department to acknowledge racism and fight the "code of silence" that keeps officers from being held accountable.

That task force also called for videos to be more readily released to the public, within 60 to 90 days.

Shaar, the officer under investigation, has been the subject of 13 police misconduct complaints during his time as an officer, according to police misconduct documents obtained by the Invisible Institute watchdog group.

Four of those complaints, not including the Portillo's incident, were for use of excessive force, according to the documents.

The massive release of videos includes many open cases, some of which are the subjects of lawsuits. At a news conference Friday, IPRA boss Sharon Fairley stressed that videos do not paint a complete picture of what happened in each incident, and many lack context.

“It's really important for you to keep in mind that these materials may not convey all of the facts and considerations that are relevant [to an officer's conduct," she said.

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