Hinsdale Man Utters Racial Slurs At Restaurant: Cops

LA GRANGE, IL — A Hinsdale man uttered racial slurs toward La Grange police officers responding to a disturbance he caused at a restaurant, police said.

The man was identified as Richard Martinez, 33, who lives in the 600 block of The Lane. He was arrested on charges of simple assault, resisting an officer and disorderly conduct.

Through a public records request, Patch obtained the full police report on the incident. It happened shortly before 9 p.m. Oct. 8 at Milkstop Café, 700 W. Burlington Ave.

According to the report, Martinez arrived at the restaurant on his bicycle, with one of the employees saying he appeared to be intoxicated or high. Martinez sat at the bar, but then moved to engage in conversation with three women. He asked for a glass of milk, and he was given one, police said.

Martinez returned to the bar and drank the entire glass of milk. When Martinez did not buy anything else, an employee told him he could not stay, the report said. Police said this enraged Martinez, who asked, "Who the f--- are you telling me what to do?" he said. He then called the employee a slur typically aimed at African Americans, then repeated that slur a number of times, police said.

Police were called. By the time they arrived, several people were trying to hold down Martinez on the floor, according to the report. Officers then said they struggled to take Martinez into custody.

All the while, Martinez called officers slurs usually used against African Americans, Jewish people and gays, police said. He also issued a number of threats to the officers, including that he would "cut their throat in the toilet," police said.

One officer said in his report that Martinez continued to resist the police and appeared to have "strength disproportionate to his size." When they finally took custody of Martinez, he was taken to the hospital, according to the report.

Ten days later, officers interviewed Martinez at the police station. He said he had ridden his bicycle the night in question to Palmer Place restaurant, 56 S. La Grange Road, to have several beers, then went to Milkstop.

Martinez told police he did not recall all the details about his time at Milkstop, but he remembered a fight and that police were called. And he recalled being taken to the hospital. But he denied being under the influence of drugs, according to the report.

He told police he completed three years of college, having attended Parkland College in Champaign and the University of Illinois, the report said.