Exclusive: Alleged suspect in officer beating speaks

CHICAGO (WLS) -- One of the alleged suspects in the beating of an off-duty police officer spoke exclusively to ABC 7 Eyewitness News before turning himself in to Harvey police.

The sergeant was beaten in a Loop parking garage in the middle of the afternoon on Thursday in the 100-block of West Madison.

Chicago police issued a community alert, calling the suspects "armed and dangerous" and released surveillance pictures of several people and their alleged getaway vehicle.

As 21-year-old Brian Williams turned himself in to Harvey police with his lawyer by his side Saturday, he tells a different story of what happened in that parking garage.

Williams claims it was the sergeant who started the argument by using a racial slur.

Williams says he and his friends, along with their significant others, were attending a wedding. When they got on that elevator, he said, an off-duty Chicago police sergeant and two other men got on too.

"We got on the 12th floor elevator," Williams said, "and as we were getting on, three white males were getting off and they said some racial slurs to my friends."

Police say the sergeant, who was not in uniform, was beaten on the 12th floor, by as many as 10 men.

Williams says they had no idea who the man was and that there was only one man fighting with the sergeant.

"My friend got mad and they got into an altercation the cop," he said. "The off duty police officer I believe, did not say he was a cop, we didn't know he was a police officer, he took off his hoodie and got into a form like he wanted to fight my friend, my friend started fighting."

The sergeant's service weapon, police say, was stolen by the attackers who then fled after two men came to the sergeant's aid.

Williams says he saw the gun when he was trying to break up the fight:

"At that time I turned around and noticed he got on the ground and pulled out the gun," he said. "I just see a gun in his hand and my 2-year-old daughter is standing next to me, screaming, crying panicking, my fianc is screaming, don't nobody know what's going on, they fear for my safety and my kids safety and my life. All I did was kick the gun out the guy's hand so he didn't shoot one of us."

The sergeant suffered facial fractures, a concussion and bleeding in his brain. He remains at Northwestern Hospital.

Williams wants it known, that he's sorry for what happened.

"We never intended to do that," Williams said. "We was going down there to get married and a fight broke out, and I did what I had to do to protect me and my family"

Williams turned himself in to Harvey police this afternoon where he says he felt safer. Harvey police say Williams is now officially in Chicago police's custody, although they will not confirm that.

Chicago police also won't comment on the allegations made by Williams. The case remains under investigation.