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Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
National
Megan Crepeau

$50,000 bail for man charged with choking officer after Blackhawks win

June 17--As the rest of the city was celebrating the Blackhawks victory Tuesday, a courtroom on the West Side was handling the hangover.

Two Wrigleyville revelers -- along with a man who was allegedly hawking fake game tickets -- were paraded before a judge on charges related to the clinching of the Stanley Cup.

Chicago police made about a dozen arrests, mostly for misdemeanor offenses. Five officers suffered injuries that were not life-threatening and six squad cars were damaged in the police district that includes Wrigleyville, where most of the Monday night partying went on.

Chicago police called the post-game celebrations "mostly peaceful."

Perhaps the exception was Matthew Torres, 21, who was arrested in Lakeview Monday night after allegedly trying to choke a police officer.

It all started about 11 p.m. Monday when officers saw a person -- not Torres -- climbing a light pole near the three-way intersection of Clark Street and Newport and Sheffield avenues, Assistant State's Attorney Lorraine Scaduto said in court.

The officers waited for the man to get down from the light pole and chased him. Enter Torres, who got in their way and placed his hands around one officer's neck, trying to choke him, Scaduto said. The officer flipped Torres to the ground and put him in a headlock, according to a report filed after his arrest.

Tribune reporter Tony Briscoe captured the scuffle on video, which can be viewed here.

Torres, of the 400 block of West Diversey Parkway, was charged with aggravated battery to a peace officer, a felony, and resisting or obstructing an officer, a misdemeanor. Judge James Brown ordered Torres jailed on $50,000 bond.

Also on Monday night, Chicago police officers assigned to keep an eye on Stanley Cup celebrations were driving on Southport Avenue in an unmarked car with lights and sirens on, according to police documents.

In the 3500 block of North Southport Avenue, Jameel Wesley of suburban Hillside ran toward the car and threw a glass bottle, which hit the driver's side door and almost caused an accident, the report states. In court on Tuesday, Scaduto said the bottle left a four-inch dent.

Wesley, 20, was arrested and charged with criminal damage to property, a felony. He was ordered held on $10,000 bond Tuesday.

Earlier on Monday, a West Englewood man was arrested for allegedly selling more than $3000 of fake Blackhawks tickets.

Darrell K. Burton, 48, was charged with two counts of forgery, theft, and attempted theft. According to Scaduto, he was on probation for selling counterfeit Bulls tickets at the time of his arrest.

Burton was ordered held in lieu of $25,000.

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