two details on Forest Park rape case

Late Saturday, August 11 or early Sunday, August 12, an encounter between a male Forest Park police officer and a female barmaid caused the woman to file a rape complaint. The complaint is now being investigated by the Illinois State Police.

The Forest Park Police Department has diligently protected the identity of the police officer. However, Proviso Probe can report the name of the bar [UPDATE2:but has thought better of it] and the name of the officer, Nick Kozak.

Kozak has never appeared by name in Proviso Probe, but he was the officer Sgt. Dan Harder wanted Chief Jim Ryan to investigate for illegally beating a handcuffed prisoner, Paul Cruikshank, who was identified as "The Wrigleyville Rapist".

Harder ultimately made a complaint to the EEOC against the Village of Forest Park alleging Harder was the victim of illegal discrimination and described Kozak's conduct this way:

...a male police officer with a crew cut punched [Paul J. Cruikshank] numerous times in the head and ribs, and kneed him in his side. This was done while Cruikshank was handcuffed and in the back of a Forest Park Police Squad Car. [The detectives] told me that Cruikshank was hurt so badly that he could not eat his meals and they worried that his allegation could compromise their case.

Kozak's wife is a police dispatcher, which may have contributed to the discipline members of the FPPD have shown in protecting Kozak's identity.

There are other unconfirmed details that, if true, are difficult to reconcile with Mayor Anthony Calderone's statement:

"There is no allegation of combative, physical harm," Calderone said in an interview Friday. "This allegation centers around what would be considered a rape."

Whether or not Kozak can be proven guilty of rape beyond a reasonable doubt at a criminal trial, Calderone's statements may be very hard to reconcile with the allegations made by the woman in this case.

[UPDATE: Kozak will not be charged with rape. See Forest Park Review (Josh Adams). Now we get to see how Chief Ryan handles discipline when it's one of his favorites accused of misconduct. Remember, Harder was fired for using the f-word and Harder misrepresenting his whereabouts on a sick day.[UPDATE: Harder has requested I add the caveat "allegedly" to the lying allegation. Ryan claims Harder lied in a phone conversation with no witnesses. I did not mean for my word choice to imply I had made a judgment about this allegations against Harder.]]

[UPDATE3: Does this mean the Forest Park PD will now open an investigation into a false complaint of a felony?]