People v. Thigpen

Defendant was convicted, after bench trial, of aggravated battery of a peace officer. Evidence overwhelmingly supports trial court’s finding that Defendant was aware that the victim was a police officer engaged in his duties when Defendant struck him across the head and on the back with a baseball bat. Three witnesses testified that officer was in full police uniform, and that officer stood face-to-face with Defendant when he first approached him. Officer’s testimony, including of his 3-day hospitalization and extensive physical therapy, established that his injuries reached threshold of great bodily harm. (NEVILLE and MASON, concurring.)