Crime & Safety

Security Officer Tussles With Activist At Christ Hospital

Police said immigrant rights activists' group blocked access to hospital entrance.

A Chicago man was charged with battery after he allegedly elbowed a security officer during a protest demanding equal access to organ transplant lists for undocumented immigrants.

Security officers were assigned to monitor a group of activists outside of Advocate Christ Medical Center at 4440 W. 95th St., protesting for the right to be put on the organ donor list, reports said.

When security officers went to check on the group around 1:30 p.m. August 7, the protestors were blocking one of the hospital entrances. Security officers asked to group to move back on to the public sidewalk.

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Police said that a man, identified as Javier E. Martinez, 44, extended his elbow and made physical contact with the security officer’s shoulder.

A witness corroborated the officer’s story.

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Martinez offered the same details to police, except that he never made contact with the guard, reports said.

The security officer signed a complaint and Martinez was charged with battery. He was taken into custody and taken to the police station.

ABC-7 reported that the group has been targeting hospitals around the Chicago region, protesting that undocumented immigrants are barred from organ transplant lists.

Earlier last week, the activists protested outside of Northwestern Hospital. Hospital officials responded that undocumented patients can be added to transplant lists, ABC-7 said.



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