Former NIU police officer claims in suit that his own department tried to frame him
BY DAN ROZEK Staff Reporter January 23, 2013 7:34PM
Updated: January 24, 2013 5:06PM
A former Northern Illinois University police officer cleared of charges he raped a student has filed a lawsuit accusing his own department of trying to frame him.
Andrew Rifkin alleges in his suit that NIU police altered a statement he gave them to make it appear he admitted assaulting the student in November 2011.
The suit, filed this week in DeKalb County, also contends an investigator concocted a statement in which the alleged victim claims she was threatened by Rifkin.
Sex assault charges against the 24-year-old Rifkin were dropped last November shortly after a judge ruled NIU police intentionally withheld evidence that favored him.
Testimony in a pre-trial hearing also indicated NIU Police Chief Donald Grady had a technician remove files from his office computer just after a judge ordered police to make sure they had shared their evidence with Rifkin’s lawyer.
Grady has since been placed on paid leave.
The suit names Grady, three other officers and NIU as defendants.
NIU Public Safety Director Bill Nicklas declined Wednesday to comment.
