Plaintiff:
Anthony Nelson
Incident date:
02/22/2012
Location:
2295 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Allegations:
Nelson was participating in a peaceful protest outside of a bank office in the Logan Square neighborhood opposing the company's foreclosure of a poor family's mortgage. Nelson and three other people entered the bank; two of the people who entered with Nelson were the individuals losing their home. Inside, Nelson filmed the encounter between the three people and the bank employees. The employees refused to speak to the family. At all times, Nelson was quiet, did not shout and only listened as another protester attempted to speak to the bank's personnel. Nelson left the bank several minutes after entering and rejoined the peaceful protest outside. Soon after, Officers Echeverria and Kalamaris arrived at the scene. One of the officers put his hand over Nelson's camera lens and arrested him. The officers did not arrest anyone else who had entered the bank and had been part of the protest. Nelson was taken into custody and charged with criminal trespass to property for remaining inside the bank offices after being asked to leave. Nelson was outside at the time of arrest. The charge was dismissed after the officers failed to appear at the court hearings.