Woman testifies she was 'scared' of Palatine officers

A Des Plaines woman charged with striking Palatine police testified Wednesday that the officers swore at her and “slammed her face” onto a table following her arrest last year on suspicion of drunken driving.

Earlier, officers testified that the woman, Carmelita Ceja, scratched, kicked and pushed them as they attempted to subdue her in the police station's booking room on Oct. 20, 2010. Ceja testified that she was “really scared” by what went on that night, admitting that she kicked at Officer Joseph Murphy and may have scratched his face while trying to free herself.

Testimony unfolded in “he said”/”she said” fashion in the Rolling Meadows courtroom where Ceja's jury trial continued before Cook County Judge Thomas Fecarotta.

Murphy and Palatine police Sgt. Steve Bratcher testified that they repeatedly asked Ceja, 34, to calm down. They say she yelled profanities, made obscene gestures, flailed her arms and pushed Bratcher. Murphy testified that Ceja resisted attempts to handcuff her and when he tried to control her arms, she fell back onto a bench, then kicked him in the chest and scratched his face.

Murphy testified that he noticed Ceja's license plate sticker was expired after he pulled behind her at a stoplight on Oct. 20, 2010. After the light changed, she drove off at about 53 miles per hour in a 35 miles-per-hour zone, he said. After stopping her, Murphy said he detected the smell of alcohol and asked her to perform field sobriety tests which she failed. He then drove her to the Palatine police station.

Ceja testified that she had two drinks with a friend before Murphy stopped her. She insisted she cooperated with him during the traffic stop. Claiming that Murphy refused to let her use the restroom after they arrived at the station, Ceja said she was “uneasy and nervous” as he pressed her about being from California even though she told him four times that she was born in Chicago.

She then testified that Bratcher told her to tell Murphy what he wanted to know and swore at her. She said Bratcher pushed her in the chest, “slammed her face” to the table and grabbed her arm, and Murphy grabbed her leg.

Testimony will continue Thursday.