MILWAUKEE – Two Milwaukee police officers accused in the beating of a man outside a party at an officer's house two years ago pleaded guilty Friday to federal charges.
Joseph Schabel, 35, who also resigned from the force Friday, and former officer Jon Clausing, 29, were among eight officers charged in the beating.
Jude, 28, said he had been the party on Oct. 24, 2004, when a group of white men who identified themselves as off-duty officers kicked and punched him, put a knife to his throat and jammed a pen in his ears as he begged for mercy.
The men accused him of stealing a police badge, but no badge was found and Jude was not charged with theft.
Schabel pleaded guilty Friday to deprivation of Jude's civil rights and use of intimidation. Clausing, a former Milwaukee police officer, pleaded guilty to conspiring with other off-duty officers to violate the civil rights of Jude and another man, Lovell Harris, by assaulting them at the party, court documents show.
Schabel faces up to 20 years in prison and Clausing faces up to 10 years in prison at sentencing May 11.
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