CHICAGO (STMW) — Former Chicago cop Anthony Abbate — convicted of beating a female bartender half his size in a drunken attack that went viral last year — has been charged with violating probation for testing positive for opiates.
Abbate, 41, appeared in court Friday before Judge Arthur Hill, who set bond at $40,000 for failing a drug test, a provision of his probation, Cook County State’s Attorney’s office spokesman Andy Conklin said. He will next appear in court on March 12.
Abbate tested positive for opiates in January, in violation of probation, which was issued following his conviction for felony aggravated battery last June for beating Karolina Obrycka on Feb. 19, 2007 in a Northwest Side bar. A videotape of the beating, widely circulated on the Internet, showed the 250-pound Abbate pummeling the petite bartender in a drunken attack.
In addition to two years probation, Abbate was ordered to perform 130 hours of community service at a homeless shelter and attend anger management classes. He was also ordered to serve a strict 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew during the probation period and undergo drug and alcohol evaluations.
A federal civil suit was filed by Obrycka, a manager and another employee of the bar in April 2007. A status hearing for that suit, which seeks at least $1 million, is scheduled for March 3 in U.S. District Court.
Abbate was fired by the Chicago Police Dept. in December 2009 due to department rules regarding felons on the force.
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