Muslim woman sues Chicago, 6 officers for false terrorist ID

Chicago, 12 Aug 2016: A Muslim woman is suing the city of Chicago and six officers who falsely singled her out as a potential terrorist on July 4, 2015, as she left a subway station wearing a headscarf, face veil and carrying a backpack.

 

Itemid Al-Matar’s federal lawsuit filed on Friday says officers pulled off her religious garb, arrested her and later strip-searched her. The 32-year-old was acquitted of obstructing justice. The Council on American-Islamic Relations says "blatant xenophobia, Islamophobia and racial profiling" motivated the arrest.

 

A public police report says officers "were on high alert of terrorist activity" on the national holiday and that Al-Matar was exhibiting "suspicious behavior." The CPD declined to comment but said in a statement that police "strive to treat all individuals with the highest levels of dignity of respect."