Island Lake T-shirt threat case dismissed

A disorderly conduct charge against an Island Lake man charged with making threatening gestures at a village board meeting while wearing a sniper T-shirt was dismissed Monday.

Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Dan Kleinhubert, chief of the misdemeanor division, said prosecutors determined they could not prove the case against Greg Kachka, 60.

Kachka was charged a few weeks after a March 13 meeting at which he questioned village expenditures while wearing a T-shirt with a picture of a sniper and the words "Don't Move. If You Run, You'll Only Die Tired."

He was arrested after Trustee Debbie Herrmann and Village Clerk Christy Kaczmarek complained Kachka had gestured toward them with his right index finger and thumb portraying a handgun.

Defense attorney Alfred Stavros said he subpeaoned a videotape of the meeting and turned it over to prosecutors after reviewing it.

"He made no such gesture," Stavros said. "This was not a case and never should have been brought in the first place."

Kachka faced up to 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine had he been convicted.

After court, he said the experience has not tempered his interest and he intends to continue attending meetings.

"Every one, sitting front row and center," Kachka said. "I went last week and I wore my T-shirt."