Vietnam Vet Arrested After Pointing Finger at Town Meeting
In the midst of a contentious town meeting in a small Chicago suburb earlier this year, resident Greg Kachka committed a criminal act, officials contend: Wearing a custom T-shirt with a Marine Corps insignia that states “Don’t Move. If You Run, You’ll Only Die Tired!!” the 60-year-old Vietnam veteran pointed his finger at an Island Lake village trustee.
“Trustees allege Kachka’s thumb was raised and his index finger extended, as though he were firing a gun,” reports the Chicago Tribune.
Trustee Debbie Herrmann, one of two officials who complained to police about Kachka’s gesture at the March 13 meeting, says she had no choice but to take the situation seriously, given violence earlier this year at Northern Illinois University and at a suburban St. Louis town meeting.
However, some fellow residents view the two disorderly conduct charges against Kachka as ridiculous. Citizens for Better Government in Island Lake has posted Kachka’s $500 bail, and plans to try to fund his legal defense by selling T-shirts with the same slogan.
“What they’re doing to him is retaliation because he made statements and asked questions at board meetings that caused embarrassment to this administration,” Laurie Rabattini, who heads the group, tells the Tribune.
If convicted in the disorderly conduct case, Kachka faces a maximum sentence of 30 days in jail, 2 years of probation and a $1,500 fine.
