Protest held at Palatine police station after officer assisted federal agents with arrest

A group of roughly 100 people protested in front of the Palatine Police Department late Tuesday afternoon in response to a Monday incident where a village police officer assisted federal agents with an arrest.

Police officials Monday said the officer only intervened in an attempt to calm a chaotic situation at a local business.

Despite the explanation, many at Tuesday’s protest remained upset that officers were assisting federal immigration agents.

“I think it's critical the local police follow the TRUST Act,” said Janet Howard of Palatine. “I understand they're in a hard position. Police officers are trained to respond. But they have to follow the agreement.”

Under the state’s TRUST Act, local law enforcement officers are prohibited from assisting federal agents in civil immigration enforcement operations.

The protest was organized by the group Progressive Palatine.

Hugh Brady of Inverness said he hopes more information sheds additional light on the incident, including police body camera footage and witness statements.

“If the officer was just trying to keep the crowd away, that would be acceptable,” he said. “If you can arrest people without a warrant, you can arrest anybody.”

Palatine police Monday defended the officer’s “split-second” decision to resolve a confrontation without injury.

According to police, Palatine officers responded to a report of a disturbance at 11:50 a.m. Monday on the 1100 block of East Dundee Road. Initial reports indicated three individuals wearing police insignia were trying to arrest a customer at the business.

A crowd of about 20 people had also gathered, shouting obscenities at the federal agents.

A Palatine officer provided verbal instructions in Spanish to the customer being arrested and grasped their handcuffed right arm while federal agents secured the left arm. Police officials said the officer’s actions were done in an effort to bring the situation to a “safe and peaceful resolution.”

“The Palatine Police Department remains committed to complying with all state laws, and will continue to focus on building strong relationships with the community,” the village’s statement read.

Among the crowd was Jenny Levin of Palatine, a nurse who is a Democratic candidate for the 51st District state House seat. She said the entire community deserves more transparency about the incident.

“I don't know that we have all of the information,” she said. “I'd like to live in a world where we can trust our police officers. My biggest concern is that anyone can buy a uniform online and say they're federal.”

In response to a video of the events circulating online Monday, Palatine officials said two of the federal agents involved are wearing green attire while the third is in blue. The Palatine officers were in full uniform with their Palatine police patches clearly displayed on both sleeves.