Jackie Robinson West Whistleblower Coach Arrested Following Scuffle

The Evergreen Park youth baseball coach who alerted Little League officials to Jackie Robinson West’s violation of residency policy was arrested early Tuesday morning after allegedly chasing a woman down a street in Evergreen Park.

Christopher Janes, 39, of the 9100 block of Albany Avenue, was charged with disorderly conduct, assault, resisting arrest and obstructing a police officer following the debacle outside a home in the 9100 block of Utica. Janes was also cited for public intoxication and using threatening and vulgar language, the Daily Southtown reports.

A woman told Evergreen Park police that just after 1 a.m. she saw a man standing near a car in the street north of her driveway. She pulled in and Janes reportedly charged at her, then banged on her front door after she ran inside, according to the report. Janes was shouting and swearing, demanding she and her husband come outside.

The couple opened their door but did not recognize him. Janes lived one block from where the incident occurred. The woman called police and Janes was picked up shortly afterward. One of his arms was bleeding, police said.

Janes, who is the vice president of the Evergreen Park Athletic Association, said Tuesday afternoon that he was “inebriated” at the time, reports The Regional News, and thought he was at his own house.

“I was inebriated and if that’s the case I need to go over there and apologize,” Janes told The Regional News. “It’s regrettable.”

Janes was at the center of the Jackie Robinson West controversy, after he asked Little League International to investigate the team amid evidence several players lived outside the league’s Chicago boundaries. The team was later stripped of its championship title after an investigation by Little League International officials.

After the league’s decision, Janes received several threatening phone calls, including death threats. Janes maintained the decision was not the direct result of his complaint, but that he “did the right thing” in coming forward with this concerns.