Officer Craig Swistowicz Charged with Violating Civil Rights

A Chicago police officer has been indicted for allegedly using "unreasonable force" on a suspect, causing him injury, court documents said.

Officer Craig Swistowicz, 38, was charged with "depriving another individual of his civil rights in violation" of federal law. The indictment said the officer struck the alleged victim.

A statement from the Milwaukee U.S. attorney's office -- the Chicago office withdrew from the case to avoid a conflict of interest -- gave few details of the case. However, Swistowicz, a 12-year veteran, was a member of the federal-local High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force.

The alleged victim was identified in the indictment only as "J.P." and was said to have suffered an unspecified injury. Court documents did not identify the race of either the officer or the alleged victim.

The federal statement said since the arrested man allegedly suffered an injury from a blow by Swistowicz, if convicted the officer faces a fine of not more than $250,000, imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or both.