La Grange Cops Cleared In 'Bobblehead' Incident

LA GRANGE, IL — A man complained that two La Grange police officers who escorted him out of a Lyons Township High School meeting in December hurt him, police said.

After conducting an investigation, the police department cleared the officers.

Through a public records request, Patch on Tuesday obtained the police report related to William See's accusations.

According to the report, See declined to request an official investigation, but the police launched one anyway. The department interviewed school officials and meeting attendees.

On Dec. 20, See, an opponent of mask mandates, was asked to leave a school board meeting after he twice called school officials "bobbleheads." Superintendent Brian Waterman threatened that See could be arrested for trespassing if he did not depart.

Three days later, See met with Police Chief Robert Wardlaw, saying he supported law enforcement.

According to Wardlaw's report, See accused Officer Jin Kang — whom See called "Wang" — of jabbing him in the back and grabbing him on the right arm. See said the jabbing was a military-style move.

See showed his back to the chief, but Wardlaw said he did not see any signs of injuries. See declined to show his arm, even though he contended it had been bruised, the report said.

Although See declined to file a formal complaint, he asked Wardlaw to look into the matter and report back by the following Monday, four days later. He said he did not think he would live past Monday, according to the report.

The chief said he told See he could follow up Monday, but the investigation would not be done by then.

See came by the police station the next Monday, which was Dec. 27. But Wardlaw said the investigation would take several weeks.

See accused the chief of lying to him and that he would sue, the report said.

Wardlaw told See their conversation was over. The chief held open the station's front door. See walked out, but then used his foot to block the door from closing, Wardlaw said.

"F--- you, Nazi," See told Wardlaw, according to the report.

On Feb. 14, La Grange police Sgt. Patrick Fulla issued his report on the incident. He said he found no evidence that Kang, a police investigator, or Officer Kevin Comstock injured See while escorting him out of the school's Reber Center auditorium.

Witnesses said the officers "remained calm," were "incredibly professional" and "did not even raise a voice," the report said.

In December, board meetings were moved to the larger Reber Center after sessions had become increasingly contentious. In the fall, See himself had accused school board members of being "worse than pedophiles" because of the mask requirement.

See was upset the school was following the governor's mask mandate, leading him to call them "bobbleheads" at the December meeting. He even got a "bobblehead" from his black bag to make his point, seen on the school board's meeting video.

After being told to leave, the officers approached See. When he moved out of the camera frame, he could be heard yelling, "Get your hands off me. Leave me alone. You can't touch me... Ow! You hurt me."

He also was said to have indicated he had a heart condition.

After Fulla's report, Wardlaw cleared the two officers, saying they violated no policies or laws.

"The officers' actions were described as being calm, gentle, while giving clear orders/commands," Wardlaw wrote. "Mr. See's actions were described as being disruptive, disparaging, confrontational, aggressive and dramatic."

Patch has reported on the issue of the board's enforcement of it rules in connection with the First Amendment.