An incident reported in last week’s Windy City Times about two gay men who claimed they were attacked in an alley just behind the popular North Halsted restaurant Nookies April 18 was apparently related to a ‘road rage’ incident just a few blocks away.
The five women and one man allegedly did damage to the couple’s car.
On April 21, when an arrest was made, the police report indicated that the incident started as a ‘road rage’ situation between the vehicles’ drivers. It also appears all those involved are gay or lesbian, and as a result, no hate-crime charges will be filed. The driver of one of the cars has been charged with criminal damage to property.
Mike Banko and Jeff Durbin, partners in life and business, said they turned into the alley around 9 p.m. and beeped at a stopped car. From behind, out of a white Jeep Cherokee, Banko said several people began pounding on the couple’s car. The men got out to get the attackers to stop, but the altercation soon escalated.
‘Hate-crime charges were rejected when it became clear this was a road rage situation that happened several blocks away and escalated … at which time their was mutual combat and no parties were charged with anything further,’ said a police spokesperson.