Report: Officer seen on video letting man harass Puerto Rican woman gets desk duty
The 36-minute video was shot by Mia Irizarry of Chicago, who rented a pavilion at the Caldwell Woods Forest Preserve on Chicago's Northwest Side for a birthday party June 14, and posted on her Facebook page the same day. It has gone viral, garnering a couple of million views.
Forest preserve police Chief Kelvin Pope said Tuesday the officer who provided the lax response - Patrick Connor, a 10-year veteran of the force - was placed on desk duty 10 days after the confrontation while the police department has been investigating.
Timothy G. Trybus, 62, is charged with assault and disorderly conduct in connection with the confrontation. The forest preserve police report says Trybus was drunk at the time.
The man, who has been charged with assault and disorderly conduct, can be seen approaching Irizarry and asking her about her shirt - which depicted a Puerto Rican flag - and her citizenship status.
"Are you a citizen? Then you should not be wearing that," the man said to her. "I would like to know is she an American citizen?"
"You're not going to change us," the man continued. "The world is not going to change the United States of America. You should not be wearing that in the United States of America."
On several occasions Irizarry called out to the officer who was first on the scene.
"I do not feel comfortable with him here; is there anything you can do?" she asks, to no avail.
Get the full report at chicago.suntimes.com.