5 charged after Hillside brawl that injured officers

January 29, 2011 (HILLSIDE, Ill.)

Surveillance video shows the fight breaking out inside the Hillside Bowl about 2 a.m. Friday.

One injured officer might have broken facial bones. The others have minor injuries.

The suspects face several charges, including aggravated battery to a police officer and resisting arrest.

Kristofer Lee, 36, of 148 N. Long in Chicago, is charged with three counts of aggravated battery to a police officer, Class 2 felonies, and one felony count of resisting arrest, Cook County State's Attorney's office spokesman Andy Conklin said.

Lee's wife Keisha Heard, of the same address, is charged with one count each of aggravated battery to a police officer and resisting arrest, Conklin said. And another woman, Latoya Reed of 5501 W. Washington in Chicago is charged with one count of aggravated battery to a police officer.

Two other people, a man and woman, have been charged with misdemeanor counts of battery and resisting arrest, according to Hillside Police Chief Joe Lukaszek.

Lukaszek said Lee is believed to have started the fight.

Hillside police responded to Hillside Bowl at 4545 W. Harrison St. about 2:15 a.m. to quell a brawl in which people were reportedly using baseball bats, Lukaszek said.

"They all came out of the bar in the bowling alley, so I would assume alcohol had something to do with it,'' the chief said.

When the officers tried to separate the combatants and make arrests, they were attacked by other bystanders, Lukaszek said. A crowd of about 20 to 25 people was involved, he said.

At some point during the melee, a man got "on top" of one of the officers who'd been knocked to the ground and bit him in the nose, the chief said.

"He [suspect] got on top of him and he was bitten in the nose, arm and hand. He was bitten three times,'' Lukaszek said. "It was unbelievable. I thought he had gotten punched, but he said he was bitten."

Another officer was poked in the eye socket, according to Lukaszek. Emergency crews took the three officers to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Hillside Fire Dept. Lt. Jim Flynn said.

The three male officers -- whose time on the force ranges from seven to 20 years -- were X-rayed and checked for broken bones before being released from the hospital Friday morning, Lukaszek said.

The officers have been placed on the injured list and will need to be cleared by a doctor before returning to work, the lieutenant said.

Seven people were initially taken into custody after the fight, including four men and three women, Lukaszek said. Two of the seven were issued a local ordinance violation for fighting, he said.

Police from nearby Bellwood, Maywood, Westchester and Broadview also responded.

Lee, Heard and Reed were expected to appear for bond hearings at the Maywood courthouse Saturday.

(The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.)

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