Man walking dog runs to aid of police officer - Chicago Sun-Times

Updated: August 28, 2011 7:27PM

A man walking a dog jumped in to help a police officer who was under attack in the North Center neighborhood early Sunday.

About 12:20 a.m., a police officer answered a call for a car burglary in the 4200 block of N. Ravenswood. When she'd finished putting one handcuff on the suspect, he began pulling her hair, biting and punching her and pulling on the gun in her holster, according to the police report.

Antonio Perez, 45, of the 4200 block of Kenmore Avenue, was charged with aggravated battery to a peace officer, burglary, resisting a peace officer, and attempting to disarm a peace officer, according to police News Affairs.

Tom Lashinski, 28, of Logan Square was walking his mom's dog while his girlfriend attended a going-away party at a nearby tavern that didn't allow pets when he saw what looked like "two drunks fighting" until he saw one of the two was a police officer.

"I saw someone leap into somebody's chest — like a Batman thing," he said. "It was just a crazy fight. It was really intense."

"...She saw me and she was yelling: 'Sir, call 911, call 911 — an officer is getting attacked,' " he said, and so he called.

Then she asked him to grab her radio and give it to her, and while she called into the radio, the suspect began to struggle again.

"So I stood on his back leg and on his ankles so he couldn't move,'' said Lashinski, who said he weighs 180 pounds.

"He gave up at that point," he said.

Not long after that, several police cars arrived and the situation resolved.

Police said the officer suffered facial injuries, multiple lacerations and puncture wounds from being bitten. She was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center and released.

"I did what anyone else would do if they saw someone being attacked," said Lashinski, who works for a nonprofit housing organization that helps people who are going through foreclosure.

Lashinski said he found out later that Perez tried to take her weapon.

"If he had got her gun he could have hurt or killed her,'' he said, adding, "I'm just glad I was there."

29 Aug, 2011

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