Posted on 12/27/2003 8:13:38 AM PST by Chi-townChief
Shortly after Lennell Greer was charged Friday with beating two people at a Wal-Mart store in Forest Park on Christmas Eve, Greer's wife lashed out at the victims, saying her husband simply was protecting their daughter.
"A father's love is his crime,'' said the wife, who identified herself as "Mrs. Lennell Greer.'' "What would any man do when a grown man starts something with his 11-year-old, 70-pound daughter?''
One of the victims, a 28-year-old Chicago woman, called that claim "outrageous," saying she and a friend posed no threat but were beat unmercifully with an aluminum baseball bat while a crowd cheered their attackers on.
Earlier Friday, prosecutors charged Greer, 41, of Broadview, and a 15-year-old boy with the attack on Matthew Baures, 22, of Berwyn, and the woman. Both were charged with two felony counts of aggravated battery. Police said the boy struck the victims with the bat, and Greer also hit them.
The beating came after the victims and two female customers exchanged words in the store's check-out line, police said. After leaving, Baures and his friend, who asked that her name not be used, were attacked in the parking lot.
In an interview Friday night at Greer's house, his wife said the initial confrontation was between her daughter, herself and two others in line. Her daughter, she explained, had been sick, and wasn't able to buy Christmas presents until the last minute, including one for her dad, who was waiting in the car.
"I think it's not right because I'm a little girl going Christmas shopping for my father,'' the girl said.
The Greers said they were waiting in two separate lines when the dispute with Baures started. The alleged victims started the confrontation, they said.
Mrs. Greer declined to comment on what happened in the parking lot but said she believes a store video surveillance tape will exonerate her husband and the 15-year-old. She declined to identify the teenager but said he was not her son.
Mrs. Greer noted her husband was picked up by police on Christmas, and her daughter wasn't able to give him his gift.
"From her first Christmas she has never been separated from her father. Never,'' she said. "Now he's incarcerated. Is that what Santa has to bring?''
Lennell Greer remained in a police lock-up Friday pending a bond hearing today.
For his part, Baures said his aches from his injuries -- he was struck in the face, back and ribs -- had improved, but he still hoped to visit a doctor because he was having trouble walking.
His friend said she broke her right pinkie finger when she grabbed an attacker's crotch. She also suffered bruises on her body and welts on her head. She sought care at a hospital and still suffered headaches Friday.
While Baures and the woman believe there were four or five attackers, Forest Park Police Chief Jim Ryan said police arrested the "two major aggressors."
Wal-Mart officials said they were investigating the incident and the actions of their security staff.
Gonna be tough - "My husband had no choice but to take up a baseball bat and attack someone else". In the two accounts I've seen, no one is claiming the man took up the baseball bat in self defense.
Hmmmmmm
"From her first Christmas she has never been separated from her father. Never,'' she said. "Now he's incarcerated. Is that what Santa has to bring?''
Well cry me a river lady. She's more than willing to exploit the little girl while attempting to defend the assault and battery actions. sheesh
Prairie
If Santa commits two felony counts of aggravated battery on Christmas Eve, then yes.
Any wagers on how many personal injury lawyers have contacted the victims?
Prairie
"Is that all Santa had to bring? Bruised testicles?"
"Baures, an unemployed Web designer, was last-minute shopping with his girlfriend and another friend at the Wal-Mart at 1300 Des Plaines Ave. about 6 p.m. Wednesday. They picked up some toy race cars, Batman figures and other gifts for his girlfriend's children, along with some household goods."
"The checkout lines were "the longest I've ever seen at a store,'' Baures said. His girlfriend went to the car while he waited with their friend. There were so many people it was confusing exactly where the ends of the lines were, he said."
"They got into one line, and a girl began yelling at them they had cut in front of her. Baures and his friend argued with her, but let the girl go in front of them. The girl proceeded to allow what appeared to be her mother and friends to cut in front as well, but neither Baures nor his friend objected."
"At one point the girl began staring at his friend "like she was going to kill her,'' Baures recalled, and they asked the girl's mother to ask the girl to stop. That led to an even bigger argument."
"At that point, Baures says, he loudly proclaimed, "It's Christmas Eve. I just want to go home.''
"But as Baures and his friend left the store after about a half-hour in the checkout line, they passed the group of women, who were talking on cell phones. Then he realized they were being followed, and the group now included boys and men, including one who was carrying a baseball bat."
In yesterday's thread, a 15-year old kid held the bat in, apparently, a threatening stance and asked the 22-year old man what he said to his "sister." (The wife of the jailed says here that the kid is not her son. Confusing already, I know.) Then the young man grabbed the teen's bat and that's when the fun began.
In yesterday's thread, we surmised that there was more, since the assailed claimed that they did nothing to instigate the encounter. The wife says in this story that there was an argument in line.
But the girl and her mom and half of creation still got to check out first, ahead of Baures, so I still don't see the provocation.
Either way, this is deserving of a baseall bat beating?
I see no mention of this being a "hate crime" so that means the victim must be white.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.