An Illinois man allegedly threatened a group of Muslim women at Lake Opeka Park in Des Plaines by pretending to hold a gun and making derogatory remarks before being arrested by police.
According to a police report, the incident occurred when one of the women was trying to enter the park. The man confronted her and insulted her, demanding she leave the United States and have one woman remove her face covering.
Police stated the man approached the group at the playground, reached for his waistband to make it appear as if he had a weapon, and allegedly pointed at them while threatening to shoot. He told the women they looked like Muslim “monkeys” and “ninjas” and that they needed to leave the country. The women were wearing hijabs and long sleeves during the altercation.
The man attempted to get between the woman and the park, but she walked around him and joined the group. Police later identified the man as 44-year-old Matthew R. Kindle, who was arrested after witnessing him yell at another person. During detention, he allegedly made comments referencing “white power” and derogatory remarks about the women. Kindle claimed to police he is a white Christian and half German and half Italian, adding that a group of women approached him and made a derogatory comment toward him.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office approved multiple charges against Kindle, including three felony counts of disorderly conduct/hate crime, three felony counts of aggravated assault/hate crime, as well as misdemeanor charges for aggravated assault, disorderly conduct, and resisting a peace officer. Kindle previously faced domestic battery charges in 2019 after allegedly beating and kicking a woman.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations praised the hate crime charges. CAIR-Chicago executive director Ahmed Rehab stated: “No one should ever have to fear for their safety, let alone face threats of gun violence and white supremacist bigotry, while simply walking or spending time in a public community park.” He added that “Law enforcement have a duty to take action against hate with a swift response and pursue appropriate felony hate crime charges in this alarming case. Bigotry-fueled harassment targeting women based on their faith and appearance is a direct threat to the safety and fabric of our communities. We stand in full solidarity with the victims and will continue monitoring this case to ensure that justice is fully served.”
State Rep. Justin Cochran, a Democrat, called the incident “sickening” and told alleged victims: “I will say this to my neighbors directly: You belong here. That is your park, this is your city, your district as much as it is anyone’s.”
