On Tuesday, nearly 100 people gathered outside the Oak Lawn Village Hall before the Village Board meeting. They alleged that police mistreated a 14-year-old during a prior Police and Fire Commission meeting. According to a police news release, the teenager used obscene language at the August 5 meeting. A woman intervened as officers tried to escort the teen away from the podium.

Activist and middle school teacher Kobi Guillory spoke at the rally before the August 25, 2026, Village Board meeting. He protested the police treatment of the teen during the earlier meeting, as captured by Chicago Tribune photographer E. Jason Wambsgans.

The Arab American Action Network claims the boy was mishandled. They allege officers grabbed him, slammed him into a counter, placed him in a chokehold, and forced him to leave the meeting. The woman, identified as the boy’s mother, faced charges of obstruction of justice, disorderly conduct, and assault. Activists allege she was also violently removed.

The Arab American Action Network has attended Police and Fire Commission meetings since 2022. They protest what they describe as officer misconduct. The police claim activists have disrupted meetings, preventing the Commission from conducting business. Alleged actions include shouting obscenities, physical confrontations, and refusing to comply with lawful requests.

During Tuesday’s meeting, activists contested that officers, not civilians, were responsible for rising tensions. They drew attention to past cases of alleged racism in the Oak Lawn Police Department. This includes a previous incident where a 17-year-old was beaten, resulting in an $825,000 lawsuit settlement.

Muhammad Sankari, organizing director of the Arab American Action Network, stated, “I’m not surprised that the Oak Lawn police used an illegal chokehold against a small boy. We will continue to show up because there’s no interest in justice or accountability.”

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