Federal prosecutors drop assault charges against Laugh Factory manager in clash with Border Patrol agent
Federal prosecutors have moved to drop assault charges against the manager of a Chicago comedy club, following a confrontation with a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Lakeview in October.
Prosecutors had until Wednesday to obtain an indictment against Chicago Laugh Factory manager Nathan Griffin, who had been charged with forcibly assaulting, impeding, and interfering with a federal officer.
Instead, without explanation, prosecutors on Wednesday filed a motion to dismiss the original criminal complaint against Griffin without prejudice, giving them the option to refile charges at a later date.
Federal authorities had accused Griffin of assaulting a Border Patrol agent outside Laugh Factory in October.
According to the charges, on Oct. 24, agents in an unmarked vehicle were searching for a body-worn camera that they believed had been dropped in the area of Broadway and Belmont Avenue during a previous immigration-related arrest.
When one of the agents opened the front passenger door to get out and look, Griffin forcibly tried to close the door, according to the charges. The agent suffered "a small gouge and scrapes on his right leg" when Griffin closed the door on his leg, the complaint states.
The agent was able to push the door open, and with the help of another agent, arrested Griffin at the scene. Griffin allegedly refused to let go of the Border Patrol vehicle's door handle and a nearby scaffolding as he was being arrested, and told agents, "I didn't assault anybody. . . Shutting a door isn't a [expletive] crime," according to the charges.
Video posted on the club's Instagram page shows Griffin standing on the street during the incident, holding onto a piece of construction scaffolding with a white SUV belonging to federal agents pulled up next to him, its door open against his body. There were at least four masked federal agents in full camouflage present, as well as at least one Chicago police officer.
In the video, bystanders could be heard screaming for help and insisting, "He didn't do anything!"
Video shows three agents wrestling him to the ground as the CPD officer stepped in to separate another bystander from the scuffle. As the agents took him to the ground, another woman is brought down with them.
"Let us see your face!" the person filming demanded as the agents handcuffed Griffin. "Let us see your face for once, you [expletive] coward!"
Once handcuffed, Griffin was put in the back of the white van as the bystanders repeatedly asked, "Where are you taking him?"
Prosecutors' decision to drop the case against Griffin is just the latest such move involving various arrests from the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in the Chicago area.
Last month, federal prosecutors dropped charges against Marimar Martinez, a woman who was shot by a Border Patrol agent in Brighton Park, after federal authorities accused her of ramming an agent's vehicle.
In Martinez's case, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's office in Chicago said prosecutors are "constantly evaluating new facts and information relating to cases and investigations arising out of Operation Midway Blitz, the largest ever law enforcement surge in the Northern District of Illinois."
"This continuous review process applies to all matters—whether charged or under investigation. It helps ensure that the interests of justice are served in each and every case, and that those cases that are charged are appropriately adjudicated through our federal court system," he added.
The same day as Martinez's case was dismissed, also dismissed charges against 70-year-old U.S. Air Force veteran Dana Briggs, who was arrested in September during protests in Broadview.
He was accused of making contact with a federal agent while handing his cell phone to another protester as he was taken into custody for ignoring orders to clear the street.
He was initially charged with felony assaulting or resisting federal agents, but the charges were downgraded to a misdemeanor in October. All charges against him have now been dropped.
Four other people were arrested on the same September day that Dana Briggs was booked at the Broadview ICE facility. All of their charges were also dropped.