FLAG FLAP FALLOUT
Officials ID man accused of spouting drunken anti-Puerto Rico rant in viral video and officer who stood by despite woman’s pleas
One man has come to be known as the anonymous finger-pointing loudmouth in a blue tank top. There’s also the cop who stood by as the man berated a woman for the simple act of wearing a shirt with a Puerto Rican flag.
They became famous Monday after a video of the incident at a Northwest Side forest preserve was posted to social and media went viral.
And on Tuesday, officials identified both.
The man accused of unleashing the anti-Puerto Rico rant is Timothy G. Trybus.
Forest Preserves police Chief Kelvin Pope said the officer is Patrick Connor, a 10-year veteran of the force.
The angry rant made headlines and was viewed millions of times on social media, catching the attention of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, who apologized to the victim, and the governor of Puerto Rico, who tweeted, “This is not the America we all believe in.”
Trybus, 62, was charged with assault and disorderly conduct in connection with the June 14 incident, according to an arrest report released Tuesday by the Cook County Forest Preserves Police. He was drunk at the time, the report states.
The video, viewed about 2 million times, is also notable for the Forest Preserve police officer who stood by and watched the tirade but did nothing
In a Tuesday afternoon news conference at the Cook County Building in the Loop, Forest Preserves Deputy General Supt. Eileen Figel said the investigation into the officer is “ongoing” but promised “disciplinary actions will be swift” when the probe is completed.
“We’ve seen the video and it is very disturbing,” Figel said.
Connor has been assigned to desk duty while his actions are investigated.
In the video, shot at the Caldwell Woods Forest Preserve on the Northwest Side, Trybus can be seen approaching the woman, Mia Irizarry, and asking her about her shirt and her citizenship status.
Irizarry had rented a forest preserve pavilion for a birthday party and was issued a permit for the event.
“Are you a citizen? Then you should not be wearing that,” he said. “I would like to know is she an American citizen? Why is she wearing that s---?”
Irizarry posted the 36-minute video to her Facebook page on June 14.
On several occasions she called out to the officer who was first on the scene, telling him how uncomfortable she was with the man harassing her.
“I do not feel comfortable with him here; is there anything you can do?” she asks, to no avail.
Eventually, more officers arrived and the woman was able to file a police report.
The confrontation drew the attention this week of Ricardo Rossello, the governor of Puerto Rico.
He took to Twitter hours after the video went viral and called for the officer to be fired.
He called out Preckwinkle specifically to deal with the situation.
Preckwinkle issued a statement later Tuesday, saying she had spoken with Rosselló and “assured him that what is shown in the video does not represent our values in Cook County” and that “disciplinary action regarding the Forest Preserves police officer will be taken upon conclusion of our investigation.”
Earlier, Preckwinkle addressed the matter after an unrelated news conference.
The officer “should have intervened,” Preckwinkle said. “I apologize to the young woman who had this terrible experience. I’m troubled by the response of the initial officer at the scene.”
Connor has been disciplined in the past for working a part-time job, and not carrying proper identification, according to Pope, who said his department opened an investigation into Connor’s response the day of the incident, and that Connor was placed on desk duty June 24.
“There also needs to be due process to understand the entire context of what happened, including some things that are not captured on that video,” said Figel — who wouldn’t comment on what might.not have been recorded, citing the pending investigation.
Pope said Connor called for assistance on his radio. Two officers and a sergeant arrived at the park just before 2 p.m., according to a police report taken by one of the other officers.
Connor had another man in handcuffs “related to a different incident” when the assisting officers arrived.
Dennis White, chief attorney for the forest preserves, said it was possible charges against Trybus “could be updated” as a hate crime, and their office was in contact with the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.
No one answered the door Tuesday evening at a Northwest Side address for Irizarry listed in public records or at Trybus’ listed address, an Edison Park duplex. Neighbors a few houses down the block said they didn’t recognize the man in the video.
Rep. Luis Gutierrez released a letter calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to “investigate to see if federal civil rights charges are warranted.”
The United States acquired Puerto Rico as a territory in 1899. While citizens of the island can not vote in United States presidential elections, those born there are still U.S. citizens.
“I APOLOGIZE TO THE YOUNG WOMAN WHO HAD THIS TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE. I’M TROUBLED BY THE RESPONSE OF THE INITIAL OFFICER AT THE SCENE.” TONI PRECKWINKLE, Cook County Board president