Prosecutors drop charges against ex-Chicago officer who struggled with Black woman on beach

CHICAGO (AP) — Prosecutors dropped charges Tuesday against a white former Chicago police officer captured on video struggling with a Black woman who was walking her dog along a Lake Michigan beach.

Bruce Dyker, 53, had been charged with official misconduct and aggravated battery. He had pleaded not guilty.

“After consultation with the victim and her attorney, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office will not be proceeding with the criminal charges against former CPD Officer Bruce Dyker,” a spokesperson for the office told the Chicago Tribune.

Dyker resigned from the Chicago Police Department in May 2022 before any formal disciplinary action was announced against him. He had been a Chicago officer since 1998.

His attorney, Tim Grace, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that Dyker had been placed in a “very difficult situation,” making sure people don’t go on beach after posted hours where harm could happen to them.

“I think the state’s attorney’s office never should have charged Officer Dyker in this case but I give them credit for doing the correct thing in the end,” Grace said.

Videos showed Dyker grabbing Nikkita Brown shortly after midnight on Aug. 28, 2021, as she walked her French bulldog at North Avenue Beach.