Video shows Chicago Fire security 'hog tied' fan during match

USA Today

a day ago

A Chicago Fire supporter was hog-tied and carried out of his Soldier Field seat on Wednesday during a game against the Philadelphia Union.
Video of the incident shows members of local security firm Monterrey Security carrying the fan, Dominic Osmund, from his section after guards were responding to supporters in the area waving Palestinian flags.
Osmund told CBS Chicago he was not waving a flag, not that it would make the actions of these guards any less egregious if he were. Another security guard was also seen lunging at, and restraining, a separate fan filming the incident.
WARNING: NSFW Language
Here's what Osmund says happened, per CBS:
"I would imagine it's a matter of kind of the wrong place at the wrong time," [Osmund] said. "They needed somebody. They were worked up. I was there."
Osmund said the incident involved fans in front of him who were holding up Palestinian flags. He said security told them to put the flags down, and they complied.
He said he had been sitting with his parents watching the game, and at halftime, he went down to join the group with the Palestinian flags and support them and the Palestinian cause. He said he was not there to protest and did not have a flag at any point.
"At the end of the 65th minute, towards the end of the game, they came down — and even though nobody was flying them, they started grabbing the flags, and you know, confiscating all of them," Osmund said.
"...I said: 'Hey, why are you doing this? We weren't having a problem before. Nobody was doing anything. What was going on? Why are you doing this?' And that was when I was grabbed by one of the security guys kind of coming from behind me. He grabbed me, started immediately trying to handcuff me, and then there were hands on me from all directions, like two or three guys trying to grab me."
Osmund said he was never given any verbal warning before security grabbed him. He was was arrested and charged with one count of misdemeanor battery.
Block Club Chicago spoke with a season ticket-holder who confirmed Osmund's version of events:
Martin Tomszak witnessed Osmund's ejection while with a group of friends he brought to the game. He said one of his friends was assaulted and detained for filming the incident, suffering bruises to his wrists.
Tomszak said that at no point did security give a verbal warning about filming.
'Dom is essentially grabbed by four or five Monterey security members, and he's tackled to the point where he is clearly unable to breathe right, and then hog tied and has his head rammed against concrete steps,' Tomszak said. 'When he was in lockup, he didn't know where he was. They let me check up on him, and he was clearly either in shock or concussed. These are detainment protocols that not even CPD uses. Why is a private security firm escalating in this manner?'
Tomszak, a season ticket holder, said he's heard from other fans who will skip Saturday's match after seeing the disturbing encounter.
On Reddit, supporters who witnessed the event describe a chaotic scene and, frankly depressing aftermath.
The Chicago Fire announced they were meeting with Osmund on Friday as they continued to investigate the matter, but a bureaucratic maze will likely slow down any attempt to actually start holding people accountable.
The Fire play at Soldier Field, which is owned by the Chicago Park District. That's three entities all involved here. Block Club received a statement from Fire spokesperson Jessica Braverman, who said the organization would meet 'with Soldier Field leadership, who oversees and holds the contract with the stadium security provider".
The Park District released a statement that said it asked Soldier Field management company ASM Global to investigate.
In the meantime, this is just the latest accusation of extremely aggressive behavior by Monterrey Security, but the politically connected firm endures.