Activists rally against Oak Lawn police after officer puts teen in chokehold during public meeting
A southwest suburban police department is under scrutiny over the forceful removal of a teenager from a public meeting in Oak Lawn.
The incident sparked a rally by activists and some community members who took their complaints, accusing the Oak Lawn Police Department of racism, to Tuesday night's council meeting. The teen involved in the incident was also in attendance.
The group rallied after images were captured at a public meeting. They say it shows officers placing a 14-year-old in a chokehold.
"Oak Lawn Police Department responded to a 14-year-old's public comment by picking him up, slamming him into a counter in the back and putting him in a chokehold, which again is illegal," said Muhammad Sankari.
This 20-second video provided to CBS News Chicago by members of the Arab American Action Network says it illustrates the injustice this teen endured while speaking at a police and fire commission meeting on Aug. 5.
"All of this because Oak Lawn Police refuses to acknowledge the fact that there's deep-seated racism in this village," Sankari said.
For three years, the group has attended every police and fire commission meeting. They are upset after the Oak Lawn Police Department did not charge a woman after she hit and killed Murod Kurdi.
The group contends that back in 2023, OLPD failed to properly test the driver and arrest her for driving under the influence in Kurdi's death. That 14-year-old was at the meeting to protest the lack of charges.
But police say "...individuals in attendance have engaged in disruptive conduct that has interfered with the commission's ability to conduct its official business" and constantly are "… shouting obscenities, having physical confrontations with police officers, knocking over chairs, and refusing to comply with lawful requests…"
On the day the images were taken, Oak Lawn police say the teen yelled obscenities while speaking and "when officers attempted to escort the juvenile away from the podium, an adult female interfered with the officers and was subsequently removed from the meeting."
The group acknowledges the teen swore at the meeting.
"There is specific language you should be using in a public meeting, but at the end of the day, again, never ever, ever should have resulted him into a chokehold," said Nadiah Alyafai, Arab American Action Network.
Oak Lawn police say they respect the First Amendment, but it can't disrupt public meetings.
The teen's mother is accused of interfering while her son was being removed, with police claiming she hit officers. She was later arrested and charged with assault.
