Suburban men among six charged with damaging Olympic decorations

Six people - one from Itasca - have been charged with felony mob action and criminal damage to property by Chicago Police for tearing down and burning some decorations intended to be used during the Olympic announcement Friday at the Daley Center, authorities said.

Charged are Brian Brown, 22, of Itasca; brothers Jeremy Hammond, of Chicago, and Jason Hammond, of Glendale Heights, both 24; Jeremy Sorkin, 21, of Chicago; Jonathan Clark, 21, of Rocky Mountain, N.C.; and Anna Stafford, 20, of Wheatfield, Ind., officials said.

Chicago Police spokesman Robert Perez said Brown was the only one of the six who was not hit with an additional charge of resisting arrest.

Perez said the six were arrested during a protest at the Daley Center that began just after 7 p.m. Tuesday Perez said the six climbed the statue at about 7:30 p.m. and pulled down some wrapping on the Picasso statue at the plaza. The six then put the wrapping into the "eternal" flame that is dedicated to veterans, he added.

The wrapping was to be used as part of a gold medal display that was on the Picasso statute should Chicago win the Olympic bid Friday, he said.

The vandals then got into a verbal confrontation with police officers when all six were taken into custody.

All six are expected to appear in bond court later this morning, Perez said.