[ad_1]
Cook County prosecutors plan to file a hate crime complaint against the Chicago man accused of reprimanding a woman in a forest reserve last month for wearing a shirt emblazoned the flag of Puerto Rico
mounts political and legal circles to improve the charges against Timothy G. Trybus for his rant last month that was captured on video by the victim.
Trybus is currently facing charges of misdemeanor and disorderly conduct, but on Wednesday, Cook County Commissioner, Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, D-Chicago, issued a statement asking the county's attorney Cook to bring harsher charges
"A charge of simple aggression or disorderly conduct is insufficient as a hate crime," Garcia said in a statement.
Wednesday afternoon, the Puerto Rican Bar Association of Illinois, based in Chicago, called for hate crimes Trybus
"We ask the lawyer to State Kim Foxx to indict Timothy Trybus of a hate crime, "said the association in a written statement. "This is justified by the words of Mr. Trybus and the threatening actions towards Ms. Mia Irizarry."
Robert Foley, spokesman for Cook County State, said Wednesday that prosecutors were investigating the case and considering filing a hate crime complaint. No decision was made Wednesday afternoon. The June 14 incident, captured on video at Caldwell Woods in the Far Northwest Side of Chicago, was revealed on Monday. Toni Preckwinkle, Chairman of Cook County Council, apologized during a phone call to Puerto Rican Governor Ricardo Rossello
Meanwhile, a senior union official who represents Patrick Connor, the Forest Reserve agent police who was suspended after the video showed him apparently ignoring the woman's ways of intervention. "I do not think it's appropriate to make this call for it to be referred until the investigation is completed," said Tamara Cummings, General Counsel for the Council. fraternal order of the Illinois Police. "It is premature, I hope that these political statements will not negatively influence the investigation.Even the police officers are entitled to a fair trial."
This process begins Thursday when Connor will appear before an investigative hearing convened by the Forest Conservation Police Department.
County Commissioner Larry Suffredin said that after the hearing, the police chief may decide to discipline the officer, who could go from a reprimand to a dismissal.
The officer has the opportunity to go to arbitration and challenge the decision or accept it, said Suffredin, adding that another date and is not open to the public . He does not expect an immediate decision.
"I think it's just part of the investigation to question the officer on what happened," said Suffredin, though he hopes the discipline is announced "soon". 19659003] Since the publication of the video, some observers also claim that the county ends Connor, who joined the department in April 2006, according to state records.
Cummings said the union fears that statements made by others influence
"I think these calls come from the emotion, people seeing the video (who) are probably complaining to their local leaders, and it's probably a politically expedient way to respond to the public at this point, "Cummings said. "This is very worrying because it suggests that the survey will not be fair and that the result has already been predetermined.I hope this is not the case." [19659003] Connor was put on the desk while waiting for the findings of the investigation,
In the video that sparked the controversy, Trybus asks why the woman is wearing a shirt displaying the Puerto Rican flag. He asks her if she is a US citizen, even though Puerto Rico is a US territory and its residents are US citizens.
"You should not bring this to the United States of America," says Trybus, 62.
According to Illinois law, prosecutors could seek to indict Trybus from a hate crime if they believe that one of the underlying charges is motivated by his party taken against the victim, said Lonnie Nasatir, director of the Anti-Defamation League. "If you can prove that this was motivated by prejudice against a protected category – race, ethnicity, national origin or other – then the answer is that it can be charged with hate crime," said Nasatir, a The former attorney of the Cook County State Attorney's Office
The fact that Trybus apparently did not have any physical contact with the woman or caused any damage to her property n & # 39; It would not matter, Nasatir said. In Illinois, a hate crime charge for a first offense is a Class 4 crime, but is automatically converted to a more serious Class 3 crime under certain circumstances – including if the crime occurred in an audience
Nasatir said he was watching the video of Trybus' rant, and said that while he was pursuing the case, "I would certainly take a long look at" improving the charges to a hate crime. (Trybus) does, and the language used, is something that should definitely be seriously considered to see if the improvement of hate crime is appropriate, "he said.
5 things: A lesson in civic education about Puerto Rico after the man rants on the flag of the woman T-shirt, citizenship questions »
According to video footage of the meeting, the woman asks for help from an officer and asks him to restrain Trybus The agent is visible in the background of the video, standing a few meters from Trybus and the woman, but he does not seem to respond to the woman's requests for help
"Officer, I rent this area and he harasses me about the shirt I wear," says the woman.
Trybus, who n & rsquo; Could be reached for a comment, is scheduled to appear in court next month.
Garcia criticized those responsible for protecting forests for not having acted more quickly, noting that the incident took place on June 14 and is still under investigation
"This deadline is not not acceptable. The reserve forest must complete the investigation quickly and discipline the officer involved accordingly, up to and including the dismissal, "Garcia said.
Garcia is the heavy favorite in the world. Election this fall to replace the US representative Luis Gutierrez, who refused to run re-elected and said he plans to move to Puerto Rico after the end of his term in January, Gutierrez asked the US Department of Justice. Justice to investigate the incident of the shirt.
Gutierrez, who described the incident as "racist, ugly and vicious attack", said that his wife and him sent flowers with a simple note. "
In an interview that she gave Carlos Jimenez Flores, posted on the website of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center of Chicago, the woman said that when the officer did not Did not react to the situation as she did. "I knew at that time that, I knew, I was really treated as a minority in this situation and if I had acted aggressively, in a defensive manner – just to protect myself from being put in [[19659003] She said that Trybus' actions had made it "really scary for what could have happened to me.
Paige Fry from Chicago Tribune contributed.
gpratt @ chic agotribune.com
@royalpratt [19459] 19659003] Twitter @ mattwalberg1
READ MORE: A video seems to show that the conservation officer of the forest has not helped a woman to be harassed by the Puerto Rican flag »»
[ad_2]
Source link
