Man arrested after racially-charged fight at Chicago Starbucks

Eric Horng Image
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
Man arrested after racially-charged fight at Chicago Starbucks
A racially-charged incident in Chicago's Loop spilled out of a Starbucks and onto the street, and now charges are pending against the suspect in the case.

CHICAGO, Illinois -- A racially-charged incident in Chicago's Loop spilled out of a Starbucks and onto the street Tuesday. A man was arrested in the incident, which ended with a punch thrown and a man sent to the hospital.



It was an ugly confrontation that didn't end with words, but instead turned violent. On cell phone video of the altercation, you can hear a man yell, "Shut up slave! Do not talk to me!" at an African-American man.



"Calling people racist slurs," Starbuck employee Juan Torres said. "When I was coming to work, I was not expecting to see that."



Police said the man seen on the video in the light-colored suit became enraged after he had coffee spilled on him.



"You're disgusting," the man says in that video.



Witnesses were stunned.



"I was shocked because I thought it was going to end right there," Torres said. "Security was going to come. The cops were going to show up."



But things quickly escalated, and the man is seen lashing out at a second man, who is videotaping him.



"Your children are disposable vermin!" he yells at that man before spitting on him.



After spitting on the bystander, punches are nearly thrown. But people intervene and the conflict appears to be over, even as the man continues yelling.



"Get on all fours right now! Get on all fours! Do not walk off on two legs!" he yells.



As the man starts to leave, he's approached by what appears to be a homeless man. He throws a single punch and sends him to the ground. Witnesses tackled the man and held him down until help arrived.



Police said charges are pending against the man, while the 59-year-old man who was punched was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for treatment with an eye injury. Starbucks employees said the suspect has been a problem customer in the past, but never violent.

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