An Illinois man allegedly pretended to threaten to shoot a group of Muslim women and allegedly made derogatory remarks before getting arrested by police.
One of the women said she was trying to enter the park at Lake Opeka in Des Plaines when a man confronted her and insulted her, a police report said.
The police report said he told the women to leave the US and demanded one woman remove her face covering.
He tried to get between her and the park, but she walked around him and joined the group, Des Plaines police said.
The man approached the group at the playground and reached for his waistband to make it appear as if he had a weapon, police claimed. He allegedly pointed at them as though he had a gun and threatened to shoot the women.
"[He] told the women that they looked like Muslim 'monkeys' and 'ninjas' and that they needed to leave the country," the police report stated.
The police report noted that the women were wearing hijabs and long sleeves at the time. The police report said he told the women to leave the U.S. and demanded one woman remove her face covering.
Police later identified the man as 44-year-old Matthew R. Kindle, and he was arrested after they witnessed him yelling at another person.
He allegedly made comments referring to "white power" and allegedly made more derogatory comments about the women while he was detained. According to the report, Kindle identified himself as a white Christian and claimed to be half German and half Italian.
Kindle also claimed to police that "a group of women approached him and made a derogatory comment towards him," the police report said.
The Cook County State’s Attorney's Office approved a slew of charges against Kindle that included three felony counts of disorderly conduct/hate crime and three felony counts of aggravated assault/hate crime.
He was also charged with misdemeanor counts that included aggravated assault, disorderly conduct, and resisting a peace officer.
Kindle had previously been charged for domestic battery in 2019 after allegedly beating and kicking a woman.
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The Council on American-Islamic Relations applauded the hate crime charges.
"No one should ever have to fear for their safety, let alone face threats of gun violence and white supremacist bigotry, while simply walking or spending time in a public community park," reads the statement from CAIR-Chicago executive director Ahmed Rehab.
"Law enforcement have a duty to take action against hate with a swift response and pursue appropriate felony hate crime charges in this alarming case," he added. "Bigotry-fueled harassment targeting women based on their faith and appearance is a direct threat to the safety and fabric of our communities. We stand in full solidarity with the victims and will continue monitoring this case to ensure that justice is fully served.”
State Rep. Justin Cochran, a Democrat, called the incident "sickening" and addressed the alleged victims, according to Journal & Topics.
"I will say this to my neighbors directly: You belong here," he said. "That is your park, this is your city, your district as much as it is anyone's."
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