Blue Island Mayor says city not ignoring Police Beating death
Wednesday, November 17, 2004 at 03:35PM
TheSpook
74 Yr. Old Latino Man Dead in Confrontation with Blue Island Police
Mayor Donald Peloquin defended his administration amid fresh criticisms
of the city a month after a 74-year-old Hispanic man died after an
encounter with two Blue Island police officers. He denied that city
officials were trying to minimize the death of Antonio Manrique, who
was tackled by the officers on the street near his home and died of his
injuries in the hospital on Oct. 10. Officials say the incident was a
case of mistaken identity. Peloquin was particularly upset by a letter
that U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) wrote to a local newspaper
criticizing the way the city handled the incident. "No one in this city
has not been touched by" Manrique's death, Peloquin said during Tuesday
night's City Council meeting. "We will take appropriate measures after
the investigation is completed." The city also has been hit with a
dozen civil lawsuits alleging other acts of police brutality. [more]