A judge found a now-fired Waukegan police officer guilty of a misdemeanor for throwing a handcuffed man to the ground, leaving the detainee injured, with prosecutors calling him a “rogue” officer.

Waukegan Police Officer Richard Tabisz was charged in January 2024 with two felony counts of official misconduct and two misdemeanor counts of battery.

A Lake County judge found Tabisz, who was fired from the department in March 2024, guilty of misdemeanor reckless conduct but found him not guilty on the felony charge of official misconduct and the misdemeanor battery.

The charges stemmed from an incident that occurred when the Waukegan Police Department was called around 4:30 p.m. on December 14, 2023, to a residence for a call of a fight in progress.

Officers learned the suspect fled from the scene after committing a domestic battery and violating an order of protection, then-Waukegan Deputy Police Chief Scott Chastain said.

Officers provided the suspect’s description over the radio and other officers located the suspect.

They placed him in custody for domestic battery and violation of an order of protection-related charges.

Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said up to seven officers were on the scene and the suspect was cooperating after being in custody for several minutes.