Seven Charged In Matteson Chuck E. Cheese’s Brawl, Pizza Ban Crowd Mum

Dec. 20, 2012

MATTESON (CBS) — A brawl Saturday night at the Chuck E. Cheese’s restaurant in Matteson ended in a cloud of pepper spray and seven people arrested on charges ranging from disorderly conduct to battery.

When police arrived about 8:30 p.m., they found several adults screaming obscenities and throwing chairs at each other in the dining room, while parents with young children fled from the restaurant, near U.S. 30 and Cicero Avenue, police said.

Officers ordered the combatants to stop, but when many ignored the command, police used pepper spray to subdue them, according to police. They said two men continued fighting and screaming, one of whom was bleeding from a head wound. Both had to be physically restrained before being handcuffed by police.

Witnesses told police the dispute started when two children got into an argument, the mothers of the children then got into a confrontation and it escalated. Two of the restaurant’s managers said they did not see what caused the initial altercation, police said.

The bleeding man, Lester Whisby, 26, of Chicago, was charged with reckless conduct, disorderly conduct, battery and resisting arrest and was treated by paramedics at the scene. No one else needed medical attention, police said.

Also charged with battery, resisting arrest, reckless conduct and disorderly conduct was Joe Lynch, 27, of Blue Island, according to police.

Charged with reckless conduct and disorderly conduct were Triesha Jackson, 21, and Tevin Johnson, 18, both of Ponca City, Okla; Johnny Fleming, 18, of Sauk Village; Stephen Dyer, 31, of Chicago, and Leslie Whisby, 26, of Chicago, police said.

Police are reviewing video footage of the incident.

It was reminiscent of a similar disturbance at the restaurant in March 2011, when five men and a teenage boy were charged with mob action and disorderly conduct after a brawl in which an arcade machine was tipped over. Police also used pepper spray in that incident.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2012. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)