Bar sued over alleged police beating

Four men who claim they were beaten by off-duty police officers at a Chicago bar sued the establishment, accusing it of serving alcohol to intoxicated officers who "assaulted and battered" them "without provocation."

The lawsuit claims Jefferson Tap & Grille on Chicago's North Side didn't provide security for its customers and "refused to intervene."

Police have declined to release a videotape of the alleged Dec. 15 beating, the second videotape to surface in recent months involving off-duty police attacking civilians.

A message left at Jefferson Tap & Grill on Wednesday was not immediately returned.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday on behalf of Barry Gilfand, Aaron Gilfand, Adam Mastrucci and Scott Lowrance in Cook County Circuit Court. It seeks at least $620,000 in damages.

The lawsuit claims the bar served alcohol to intoxicated police officers who "assaulted and battered plaintiffs with fists, feet and other objects, without warning and without provocation."

The six officers were removed from street duty but not charged.

Police Superintendent Philip J. Cline unexpectedly announced his retirement earlier this month amid complaints about the department's handling of the misconduct allegations.

Cline has said police were called to the bar about the Dec. 15 fight but a sergeant who was among the officers involved waved them off.

The other videotaped attack, broadcast worldwide, showed a man punching, kicking and throwing 24-year-old bartender Karolina Obrycka to the floor after she allegedly refused to continue serving him drinks. Anthony Abbate, a 12-year veteran of the police force, is facing felony aggravated battery charges in the cases and the department has also moved to fire him.