Lawsuit: Kane County man lost hearing from flash bang at Oswego show

A Kane County man is suing the Chicagoland Emergency Vehicle Show, the village of Oswego and other agencies, arguing he lost hearing and has tinnitus, or permanent ear-ringing, from a "flash bang" that exploded near him during a Kendall County Sheriff Special Response Team demonstration in August 2018.

The lawsuit, filed this month by Michael Rafferty in Kane County court, seeks unspecified damages in connection with an Aug. 4, 2018, incident in which he argues organizers of the vehicle show, the village of Oswego, and other agencies were negligent and failed to warn him of the "inherently dangerous" flash bangs during a "high-risk SWAT extraction" held at the show.

According to the lawsuit, Rafferty was driving through Oswego when he noticed streets were closed off for the emergency vehicle show.

Rafferty parked and walked on the east side of South Main Street toward its intersection with West Jefferson Street in Oswego's downtown.

When Rafferty reached the intersection, the lawsuit argues, he saw a "large combat or military vehicle," armed officers in combat gear and people watching in bleachers. Rafferty didn't see any barricades or officers and moved closer, the lawsuit argues.

"As plaintiff walked east on the sidewalk on the south side of W. Jefferson Street, members of the demonstration approached a van parked on the W. Jefferson Street. Without warning to the plaintiff, two Noise Flash Diversionary Devices, commonly called flash bang devices, were detonated on the van causing successive and extremely loud explosions and flashes of light, including the shattering of glass on the van," read part of the suit.

"The explosions from the detonation of the flash bang devices caused loud ringing in both of plaintiff's ears and momentarily blinded him. After the explosion, plaintiff felt slightly disoriented, left the demonstration area, proceeded to his car and left the show," the suit continued.

Edward Manzke, attorney for Rafferty, did not return a phone message.

Messages left Monday and last week for the Sugar Grove-based group that organizes the show, the village of Oswego and the Kendall County Sheriff's Office were not returned.

The parties are due in court Oct. 7.