Suspects wielding hammers and batons attack diners at Tinley Park restaurant [Chicago]

Sun Times ^ | May 19, 2012 | Mike Nolan

[No One Special]

It was the middle of the lunch rush Saturday, and Mike Winston was working in the kitchen of his Tinley Park restaurant, the Ashford House, when a waitress screamed a fight had broken out in the dining room.

Police call the melee at the restaurant a targeted assault by a mob that Winston said wielded metal batons and hammers. Ten diners were hurt in the attack, and three of those were hospitalized.

Tinley Park police had five suspected assailants in custody, and Winston said 18 young men, all wearing hooded jackets and obscuring their faces with scarves and other coverings, stormed into the restaurant.

“They came running in the door single file,” said Winston, who owns Ashford House, 7959 W. 159th St., and the adjacent Winston’s Market.

Winston, and police, said the men knew who their targets were, and that the attack wasn’t a random act of violence. Winston said the mob “targeted” a group of 20 diners, all of whom were from out of state.

“Once they attacked the table, they went and started hitting random people,” Winston said.

Along with hammers, the men used what Winston described as “old-fashioned police batons” as well as metal batons.

“Four or five people got knocked over the head pretty good, enough to require stitches,” he said.

He chased after one of the attackers “and had him on the ground, then five guys got out of a car and started kicking the [crap] out of me,” Winston said.

Winston said he was kicked in the back of the head and suffered several bruises, but he was the only restaurant employee who was hurt.

“They did a whole lot of damage,” he said. “They flipped over tables, they broke half the dishes.”

Surveillance cameras inside the restaurant captured the attack, and footage was turned over to Tinley Park police, Winston said.

[yldstrk]

black on white crime? Just asking

[Vaquero]

zer0’s/holder’s peeps

nothing to see here...move along.

[CurlyDave]

Surveillance cameras inside the restaurant captured the attack, and footage was turned over to Tinley Park police, Winston said.

I am surprised the police did not confiscate the tapes, so they could suppress the suppress the evidence to promote "racial harmony".

Sure hope the restaurant copied the material before handing it over.

[RightOnline]

Yep yep yep.....just further proof that Illinois is correct in NOT allowing CCW.

Yessiree bob......sure wouldn’t have changed a thing in this instance.

[goodnesswins]

mafia hit?

[Springfield Reformer]

I’m curious who the 20 out of state diners were. It could help understand motivation. Political affiliation? Family gathering? What?

[vetvetdoug]

One CCW person would have stopped this cold.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Trayvon Lives!

[vladimir998]

The victims were whites attacked by “anti-racists”?

http://www.southsideara.blogspot.com/2012/05/5th-annual-white-nationalist-economic.html

[GenXteacher]

Some more info here:
http://observer.com/2012/05/20/anti-racist-action-group-claims-credit-for-attack-inside-chicagoland-restaurant/

[richardtavor]

I could have gotten eleven of them and removed them from society.

[raybbr]

Eleven, huh? My Ruger SR9 holds 17 in the mag and one in the chamber...!

[calex59]

You guys are both wrong, the attacking group was white, another article points that out. I am of the opinion that black on white crime has increased but we need to be open minded and fair when it comes to these crimes.

[skinkinthegrass]

thanks, for the post. :-)from the article:
" The White Nationalists were targeted inside the restaurant and physically attacked, causing several injuries and completely shutting down their meeting. The anti-fascist group was privy to anonymous inside information. This fascist event had been in secret planning for six months. The attendees have attempted to cover up the true intent of the event with mainstream media reports initially reporting the white nationalist conference as a wedding party and then as an Irish heritage meeting. The event was advertised on www.stormfront.org, an established white nationalist fascist internet forum. Anti-fascists oppose any organizing by racists and fascist in th "

[skinkinthegrass]

thanks, for the post. :-)

[gunsequalfreedom]

The argument in favor of concealed carry continues. Had just one patron be able to protect himself, he could have protected the rest.

[Tex-Con-Man]

And the victims were “Stormfronters”. Hard to choose sides on this one.

[Mike Darancette]

Open carry would pevent this type of stuff.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Some educated guesses.

1) Possibly a factional dispute. Judging from the choice of weapons, it had more organization than is typical among left wing kook groups. So it might have been fascist on fascist.

2) The intent seems to be to fight, not kill, which means it was an amateur job, also implying a philosophical dispute.

3) Tableware can make very effective hand to hand weapons, as can dishes and glasses, chairs and anything handy.

4) More will become clear when information comes out about those who were arrested.