Bell family steps forth to back beaten brother

The brother and sister-in-law of the man seen beaten by a police officer in a Streamwood squad-car dashboard video stepped forward Friday to insist he had done nothing to deserve the brutal treatment.

"His mindset is very scared," Sheila Bell said of her brother-in-law, Ronald, the man seen on the video hit 15 times about the head and shoulders with a police baton by Streamwood officer James Mandarino after a traffic stop in the predawn hours of March 28.

"He doesn't understand how this could happen to him without him doing anything," she said. "Our whole household has been scared."

"We don't feel safe," said Ronald's brother, Stacey Bell, who added that they are considering moving from Streamwood where he's lived with his brother the last dozen years.

The Bells made the statements in a news conference at the Chicago law offices of Loevy & Loevy, a prominent civil-rights firm retained by both the Bell family and Nolan Stalbaum of Glendale Heights. Stalbaum is the passenger seen tasered in the video, according to a criminal complaint filed against Mandarino by the Cook County State's Attorney.

Attorney Jon Loevy pointed out that Bell and Stalbaum have filed no formal complaints, although Streamwood is obviously aware of the case, and they have not yet filed a lawsuit. He added, "We are exploring that, and it's certainly appropriate."

Ronald Bell passed on the news conference. "Ron has serious concerns about his privacy," Loevy said. "He has a job that he doesn't want to get in any problems with."

The Bells depicted Ronald as an innocent man who remains mystified about why he was beaten. "My brother has no criminal history. He stays out of trouble," Stacey Bell said, adding, "We don't know this officer."

The 41-year-old Mandarino, a 15-year veteran on the Streamwood force, has declined to comment on advice of counsel. He faces two to five years in prison on charges of aggravated battery and official misconduct. He was freed on $50,000 bail after being charged Thursday and was suspended by Streamwood police earlier in the week.

Stacey Bell, who appeared at the news conference Friday dressed in a Pentagon polo shirt, said he served five years in the military and four years in the reserves and is now pursuing a post in military intelligence.

"The Bell family is not anti-police by any stretch," Loevy insisted.

Although Loevy too said 28-year-old Ronald Bell had no criminal record, a DuPage County court records search did turn up a 2007 charge of domestic battery for allegedly pushing a cousin down repeatedly. Bell was found not guilty of the charge the following year.

The 38-year-old Stalbaum, meanwhile, has dozens of traffic violations on his record, including drunken driving, reckless driving, disorderly conduct and two misdemeanors from the late 1990s sealed from public inspection, according to court records.

Yet Loevy, in a later phone interview, said that in no way explained or minimized their treatment at the hands of Mandarino.

"He wasn't driving, and frankly I'll be honest with you I think it's a little bit outrageous," he said. "I have a hard time making the connection to see what the man's driving record has to do with what happened."

The Bells made that point about the apparent senselessness of the incident at the news conference.

Stacey Bell, who appears toward the end of the released video emerging from the house and aiding his brother, said he asked Mandarino, "Why is he being assaulted?" He added, "I asked him if the amount of force used was necessary given that my brother was in full compliance. ... The only words I remember him saying were, 'Get down, get the F down.'"

"Ron was completely compliant. He did everything he was asked," Loevy said. He called the incident "inexplicable. Nobody was doing anything to justify that force. The video shows without any doubt nobody was doing anything to justify any force, much less that level of force."

Bell said Stalbaum was tasered a second time by officers arriving after the released video ended. All three were handcuffed, although Stacey Bell was soon released without additional incident. Both he and Loevy praised the way other senior Streamwood officers treated the incident, as Ronald Bell was released later the same day and it was Mandarino who came under investigation.

"I can honestly say this officer's actions were very atrocious," Bell said. "I lost of lot of respect for the police that night. Some of that's been restored with the fact this video has come out."

Daily Herald Staff Writer Christy Gutowski contributed to this story.

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