Officials are describing a chaotic scene after four men were seriously injured in a brawl outside of a Chicago restaurant over the weekend.
According to Chicago police, four individuals are facing a variety of felony charges in connection with the fight, which took place after they were allegedly kicked out of Barraco’s early Sunday morning.
Ald. Matt O’Shea, who represents the 19th ward, says the men were kicked out of the restaurant due to ‘unruly’ behavior.
“There was a group of men in the bar and restaurant, and they were being unruly, being verbally abusive to staff,” he said.
Four men, including 61-year-old restaurant owner Nick Barraco, suffered serious injuries in the fight that followed.
“Mr. Barraco was struck in the head and fell to the ground, where he had significant head trauma,” Mike Cummings, owner of nearby McNally’s, said.
An attorney who represents one of the suspects in the case is offering a far different account of what happened, arguing that his client was defending himself during the altercation.
Local
“You can clearly see three bouncers who followed the kids down the street, and then initiate a fullout melee with them, with punches being thrown by the bartenders at the heads of the kids, including my client,” Mike Leonard said.
The suspects in the case have been released from custody, with their next court date set for July 1. Under terms of their pretrial release, they are not allowed to contact any of the victims or anyone that works at the restaurant.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
In the meantime, Cummings posted a sign outside of his bar wishing his friend a speedy recovery, with a prayer vigil planned at St. Barnabas Church on Wednesday.
Exclusive video obtained by NBC Chicago shows police searching for the suspects in the attack. They were caught by police near the scene, according to a press release.
