Orland Park man charged with hate crime after punching Palestinian neighbor, authorities say

ORLAND PARK, Ill. (WLS) -- An Orland Park man has been accused of attacking his Palestinian neighbor twice during a dispute over trash cans.

Prosecutors said the suspect made hateful comments toward his neighbor as he punched him.

Terrence Clyne, 68, has been charged with committing a felony hate crime and misdemeanor battery in the incident.

The incident unfolded as a Palestinian family was moving out of their Orland Park home.

A loud commotion outside Detlef Huter's window led to him witnessing something he had never seen in the 10 years he's lived in the area.

"They were just like two boxers. I saw both of them as boxers and then they got into a fight," Huter said.

It happened Wednesday morning on Begonia Court near Aubrieta Lane in Orland Park.

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Huter said as his Palestinian neighbors, a husband and wife, were moving out of their home, a conflict broke out between the husband and another neighbor directly across from them, Clyne.

All of it centered around Clyne's garbage can, he said.

"They put some trash into his trash can, trash bin. So, it got loud. I mean, really loud," Huter said.

Police said Clyne punched the man in the face after the victim moved garbage cans from one area of a communal driveway to the other.

During the confrontation, investigators said Clyne made hateful comments, referring to the man's Palestinian origin.

"His wife tried to calm him down," Huter said.

That's when, police said, Clyne went after the victim's Palestinian wife, while also making hateful comments toward her.

When the husband stepped between them, investigators said Clyne attacked him again.

Clyne was soon taken into custody.

He appeared in court Thursday morning and was released.

No one answered at Clyne's home Thursday night.

The man who was attacked declined to comment Thursday, but said his lawyer will be issuing a statement in the coming days.

In a statement Thursday, the council on American-Islamic Relations Chicago said, "We welcome the hate crime charge in this case as an indication that anti-Palestinian attacks will be taken seriously by law enforcement authorities and the alleged perpetrators will face justice."

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