Skip to content
  • Subscribe
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Email
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment
  • Features
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
Suburban Chicagoland

Suburban Chicagoland

Original News, Features & Opinion on local and regional news you won't find anywhere else

  • About
    • About
    • Advertise
    • Our Writers
      • Ray Hanania
      • Bill Lipinski
      • Biography: Aaron Hanania
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Policy
    • Reach Out
  • Sections
    • Events
    • Opinion
    • News
    • Features
    • Seniors
    • Comic Strip
  • Library
    • “MIdnight Flight” Online Book
      • Midnight Flight Book Overview
      • Midnight Flight Introduction
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 1
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 2
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 3
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 4
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 5
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 6
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 7
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 8
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 9
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 10
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 11
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 12
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 13
    • Villages, Cities & Towns
    • Federal Office Holders
    • County Officials
    • Legislators
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
  • Comment
  • Podcast
    • Ray Hanania on Politics
    • Two Guys on Politics
    • Hanania on Tiktok
  • News Wire
  • Archive 2004-2013
  • Toggle search form
  • Illinois Senator Michael Hastings addressing the Orland Township Democratic Organization Wednesday Oct. 12, 2022
    Hastings announces $75,000 grant for Olympia Fields Bicentennial Park renovations Illinois Legislature
  • Alleged Member of Chicago Street Gang Charged With Soliciting the Murder of Senior Law Enforcement Official Involved in “Operation Midway Blitz” Crime
  • IIEC Logo
    The Energy Omnibus Bill will increase rates over the rest of this decade as Illinois families and businesses toil under higher utility costs Business
  • Thaddeus Kosciuszko, Polish hero of the American Revolution. After arriving in America in 1776, Kosciuszko joined the Continental Army. As a skilled engineer, he made significant contributions to the war by designing fortifications for several strategic places such as Philadelphia, West Point, and Saratoga. Kosciuszko later returned to Poland to lead his native military in a 1794 uprising. In Detroit, Courtesy of WIkipedia
    Cook County Treasurer Pappas showcases Polish photographer’s first-ever American exhibit and honors Polish American Heritage Month in Chicago Cook County
  • On Saturday, October 4th, Cook County Commissioner Frank J. Aguilar hosted the Fifth Annual 16th District Dia de los Muertos Resource Fair at his district office. Partnering with Commissioner Aguilar were the Village of Lyons, Lyons School District 103, Teamsters Local 777, and Rincon Family Services.
    Commissioner Frank J. Aguilar Hosts Fifth Annual Dia de los Muertos Family Resource Fair  Cook County
  • Jesse Jackson Jr July 2025
    Jesse Jackson Jr. Launches Candidacy for Congress Civil Rights
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas to Celebrate Diwali by Recognizing Indian Community Leaders Cook County
  • Andrew Boutros US Attorney Illinois
    Statement of US Attorney Andrew S. Boutros and Federal Law Enforcement Leadership in Chicago on Ongoing Criminal Immigration Enforcement Operations Chicago
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    The 5 Most Common Mistakes Homeowners Make with Property Taxes Cook County
  • Road construction cement truck. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    Hastings: $123 million in IDOT projects will improve South Suburban roads through collaboration with local leaders construction
  • Source: Electric Power Monthly - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
    Ratepayers will lose in the rush to approve battery storage electricity legislation in Springfield Business
  • Joyful reunion photo courtesy of Jeffery M. Leving & Assc law firm
    Leving Team Prevented a Father’s Wrongful Separation from His Child Dads' Rights
  • CTF Illinois Orland Park, 18230 Orland Pkwy, Orland Park, IL 60467
    Hastings, Giannoulias announce opening of temporary driver services facility in Orland Park Baby Boomers
  • Emagine Theater Pink popcorn
    Popcorn with a purpose: Emagine Theatres brings back Pink Caramel Corn to support Pink Fund during Breast Cancer Awareness Month Business
  • Chicago Wovles play the Rockford Ice Hogs, Feb. 23, 2025
    Chicago Wolves announce 2025-2026 Training Camp Roster Entertainment
17 year old Hadi Abuatelah runs after Oak Lawn police stopped the vehicle he was in asking him to leave a suspicious looking bag in the back seat. Instead, Abuatelah took the bag and tried to run but was caught and beaten to force him to let go of the bag

Arabs and Muslims wrongly rush to judgment in Oak Lawn police beating of teenager

Posted on August 3, 2022August 6, 2022 By Ray Hanania No Comments on Arabs and Muslims wrongly rush to judgment in Oak Lawn police beating of teenager
SHARE THIS STORY
            
 
  

Arabs and Muslims wrongly rush to judgment in Oak Lawn police beating of teenager

A 17 year old boy who was caught with THC drugs and a semi-automatic weapon with only three active rounds and beaten to release the weapon has become a rally cry for some Arabs and Muslims who assert that the incident is about police brutality. Sadly none of the activists defending Hadi Abuatelah acknowledge or even question why he had a dangerous and illegal weapon or was in possession of THC. In this case, the Oak Lawn police did everything by the book and the suspect deserves to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Police should also investigate the responsibility of his parents since he is a minor

By Ray Hanania

Last week, Perri Small, a friend and host at WVON Radio, Facebooked me asking what I thought of news reports of an Arab teenager who was beaten by Oak Lawn Police. She noted, sarcastically, I had “no compassion for Black boys.”

I had just heard of the incident which took place on Wednesday. Oak Lawn police stopped a vehicle that was missing a front license plate, smelled burnt cannabis in the car and asked the two teenagers to exit the vehicle to be patted down. (A video of the crime is viewable at the end of tis column)

One consented to be searched and nothing happened. But when passenger Hadi Abuatelah, 17, of Palos Hills, exited the vehicle, after being told to leave the bag in the car, he got put with the bag which looked like a military weapons satchel, Abuatelah ran and the police gave chase.

Police caught Abuatelah, tried to restrain and handcuff him, punching him repeatedly in the arm and face to force him to let go of the bag they said he was trying to reach into. A video tape showing only the beating quickly went viral.

17t year old Hadi Abuatelah runs after Oak Lawn police stopped the vehicle he was in asking him to leave a suspicious looking bag in the back seat. Instead, Abuatelah took the bag and tried to run but was caught and beaten to force him to let go of the bag
17t year old Hadi Abuatelah runs after Oak Lawn police stopped the vehicle he was in asking him to leave a suspicious looking bag in the back seat. Instead, Abuatelah took the bag and tried to run but was caught and beaten to force him to let go of the bag

 

Activists in the Arab and Muslim community immediately began protesting calling a press conference on Thursday and bringing in an official of the Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim American lawyer, the mother, and members of the Arab American Action Network (AAAN) who all insisted the beating was “another example” of “police brutality” and “racist targeting” of a minority, this time an Arab Muslim.

CAIR’s Ahmad Rehab released a statement, “Regardless of the alleged infraction that led to the arrest, the video clearly shows a restrained teenager in submission, not resisting, being brutally beaten by three officers without justification. As a result, he has sustained internal bleeding to the head, a broken nose, and other bodily injuries, all fully avoidable. The issue here is excessive force and police brutality. Something we are seeing again and again and again.” 

“Infraction?” Are you kidding me?

What about the weapon? Police found a Raven Arms P2 25 25 Calibre Semi Automatic weapon with three rounds of ammunition and a THC Vape cartridge which he later admitted to smoking.

What is a 17-year-old doing in a car with drugs with a 25 mm semi-automatic weapon with three live rounds of ammunition in a bag around his shoulder?

After protestors fiercely denounced the police, Oak Lawn Police Chief Daniel Vittorio acted quickly to respond to the accusations emphasizing the fact that the police suspected the teenager had a weapon. It makes sense. Why would he run? Nothing happened to the other teenager who wasn’t beaten.

Abuatelah was face down on the ground and police officers punched his arms repeatedly and his head to get him to release the satchel under his chest. Abuatelah resisted but finally relented. He and another officer were taken to the hospital for treatment.

Oak Lawn Police Chief Daniel Vittorio presents the facts in the arrest of 17 year old Hadi Abuatelah who had drugs and a semi-automatic weapon.
Oak Lawn Police Chief Daniel Vittorio presents the facts in the arrest of 17 year old Hadi Abuatelah who had drugs and a semi-automatic weapon.

I spoke to a witness who I know and who was in the drive-thru ordering a shawarma sandwich at Hakuna Matata restaurant at 6035 W. 95th Street, near where police finally caught the armed teenager.

Fearing the bullying from activists who will attack you when you question their claims, I’m not printing her name. She said she was waiting for her order when Abuatelah ran passed her car, followed by the police holding the weapons bag.

“It looked like a bag that you would hold a weapon and ammunition in,” she told me clearly frightened of what might be happening. “A police officer ran right passed me in the car through the drive-thru and they caught the teenager.”

Once the teenager was on the ground, she heard people at the restaurant come out yelling, “What did he do? Why are you beating him?” 

When the boy finally released the weapons’ bag, he was handcuffed.

Imagine if Texas police had seen teenager Salvador Ramos carrying weapons his weapons-filled satchel on May 24 and they had grabbed him for suspicion. If he resisted, and police beat him to release the weapons, we would be denouncing them too as police brutality against a teenager.

But in the case of Ramos, he wasn’t seen carrying his weapons bag until he got to Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas where he massacred 19 young children and killed two teachers.

Why did Abuatelah have an illegal weapon, and what was he planning to do with it? And what about his parents and their responsibilities in all of this?

Those are questions some in the Arab and Muslim community don’t want to address. They’d rather denounce police as racists and bullies. He needs help but clearly, he won’t get it from the community.

Click here to watch the complete Police Video or use the widget below. (Don’t be an idiot like Shari. Watch the video below for the truth)


(Ray Hanania is an award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter. A political analyst and CEO of Urban Strategies Group, Hanania’s opinion columns on mainstream issues are published in the Southwest News Newspaper Group in the Des Plaines Valley News, Southwest News-Herald, The Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers. His Middle East columns are published in the Arab News. For more information on Ray Hanania visit www.Hanania.com or email him at [email protected].)

 

SUBSCRIBE BELOW

Subscribe to Ray's columns

Subscribe to Ray Hanania’s Columns

* indicates required field.

 

Select Email Format


Ray Hanania on Politics podcast logo
Ray Hanania on Politics podcast logo

 

Two Guys on Politics podcast with Former Congressman Bill Lipinski and former Chicago City Hall reporter Ray Hanania www.TwoGuysonPolitics.comTwo Guys on Politics with Bill Lipinski
Ray Hanania and Producer Brian Broeking

PS … Follow Ray Hanania on Twitter at Twitter.com/rayhanania. Fight back against #SocialMediaBigBrother

newswire info
  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.  

His award winning columns can be found at www.HANANIA.COM Subscribe FREE today

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Email Ray Hanania at [email protected].

Follow RayHanania at Twitter
Ray Hanania
Latest posts by Ray Hanania (see all)
  • Hastings announces $75,000 grant for Olympia Fields Bicentennial Park renovations - October 8, 2025
  • Alleged Member of Chicago Street Gang Charged With Soliciting the Murder of Senior Law Enforcement Official Involved in “Operation Midway Blitz” - October 8, 2025
  • The Energy Omnibus Bill will increase rates over the rest of this decade as Illinois families and businesses toil under higher utility costs - October 8, 2025
NPV: 43
  • Tweet

SHARE THIS STORY
            
 
  
 
 
 
           
Blogger, Commentary, Crime, Opinion, Police, Suburban Chicagoland, Videos Tags:Arabs, dangerous weapon, drugs, Hadi Abuatelah, illegal possession of a weapon, Muslims, Oak Lawn, Oak Lawn police beating, parental resposibility, questions remain, Racism, semi-automatic weapon, support the police, teenager, THC

Post navigation

Previous Post: Winning complex trials to be subject of CLE at Jeffery Leving law firm
Next Post: Right from the Middle: Can we win the war in Ukraine?

Related Posts

  • Charter Fitness exercise equipment
    Charter Fitness goes “All Access” raises fees General Topics
  • Photo by Soheb Zaidi courtesy of Unsplash at https://unsplash.com
    Expat’s Guide to the Best Golf Courses in Chicagoland Blogger
  • Lyons passes balanced budget News
  • D230 students win prestigious art awards Education
  • Toys-R-Us front entrance from the Toys-R-Us website.
    Online shopping killing retail stores and our families, too Baby Boomers
  • William O. Lipinski former Congressman from Illinois (5th and later 3rd District). Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Right from the Middle: The Principles of Positive Americanism Bill Lipinski

More Related Articles

Chicago House soccer Chicago House soccer faces L.A. Force Sunday Nov. 6 Chicago
Table at The Primal Cut Steakhouse. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania The Primal Cut Steakhouse Restaurant review Blogger
State Rep. Cyril Nicholas, State Sen. Elect Willie Preston, and 18th Ward Alderman Derrick Curtis collected thousands of bottles of water, enough to fill two 18-wheel semi-trucks to help the water-starved residents of Jackson, Mississippi on Saturday Sept. 3 Nichols and colleagues collect bottled water for Jackson residents Chicago
Men shopping in a shopping mall. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Men turn into zombie customers during last-minute holiday rush Baby Boomers
Damage from stove-top fire extinguished by OFPD with assistance from fast acting neighbor with a fire extinguisher. Photo courtesy of the Orland Fire Protection District Neighbor’s fast response at early stages of stove-top fire prevented major damage to home Cook County
Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital Palos Heights veteran volunteers more than 11,000 hours at Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital Baby Boomers

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Login with your Social ID
  • OPINION
  • 06-04-25 Two Guys on Politics Background Zoom LOGO with images
    Video Podcast: Trump Kimmel Kirk Great American Divide Illegal Aliens polling and Illegal Aliens and ICE
    September 20, 2025
  • Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch speaking at a West Side affordable housing dedication
    Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, one of the best candidates to become Illinois Governor
    September 7, 2025
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    What You’re Missing on Your Property Tax Bill
    September 5, 2025
  • 05-23-25 Jeffery M. Leving
    Children of divorce caught in the middle during the holidays
    August 27, 2025
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    We Can Help You Understand Your Property Taxes—In Nearly Any Language
    August 8, 2025
Subscribe to Ray Hanania's column graphic

Enter Your Email to Subscribe to Ray Hanania’s Columns

  • The-Kings-Pawn-Book-300-x-300.png

Mohammed Faheem The Lightning Strike Radio

  • NEWS
  • Illinois Senator Michael Hastings addressing the Orland Township Democratic Organization Wednesday Oct. 12, 2022
    Hastings announces $75,000 grant for Olympia Fields Bicentennial Park renovations
    October 8, 2025
  • Alleged Member of Chicago Street Gang Charged With Soliciting the Murder of Senior Law Enforcement Official Involved in “Operation Midway Blitz”
    October 8, 2025
  • IIEC Logo
    The Energy Omnibus Bill will increase rates over the rest of this decade as Illinois families and businesses toil under higher utility costs
    October 8, 2025
  • Thaddeus Kosciuszko, Polish hero of the American Revolution. After arriving in America in 1776, Kosciuszko joined the Continental Army. As a skilled engineer, he made significant contributions to the war by designing fortifications for several strategic places such as Philadelphia, West Point, and Saratoga. Kosciuszko later returned to Poland to lead his native military in a 1794 uprising. In Detroit, Courtesy of WIkipedia
    Cook County Treasurer Pappas showcases Polish photographer’s first-ever American exhibit and honors Polish American Heritage Month in Chicago
    October 8, 2025
  • On Saturday, October 4th, Cook County Commissioner Frank J. Aguilar hosted the Fifth Annual 16th District Dia de los Muertos Resource Fair at his district office. Partnering with Commissioner Aguilar were the Village of Lyons, Lyons School District 103, Teamsters Local 777, and Rincon Family Services.
    Commissioner Frank J. Aguilar Hosts Fifth Annual Dia de los Muertos Family Resource Fair 
    October 8, 2025
John Kass Columns

Order the book PoweR PR; Ethnic Activists Guide to Strategic Communications

YOUTUBE VIDEOS

CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE TO RAY HANANIA'S YOUTUBE VIDEOS


Click here to view the video on YouTube or use the widget below.

Follow Ray Hanania at
Twitter
Facebook
TitkTok
BlueSky
RayHanania Columns

Creative Commons License
All works on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Do not edit original work. Give credit to the original source.

Categories

Copyright © 2022 Suburban Chicagoland & Urban Strategies Group

Powered by PressBook Premium theme