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Man Tasered After Attacking Officers, Moonshine Doorman: Police

By Alisa Hauser | October 13, 2014 8:59am
 An "extremely combative" suburban man was hospitalized Sunday after being Tasered by police after a bar fight on a Wicker Park patio, witnesses and police said.
An "extremely combative" suburban man was hospitalized Sunday after being Tasered by police after a bar fight on a Wicker Park patio, witnesses and police said.
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WICKER PARK — An "extremely combative" suburban man was hospitalized Sunday after being Tasered by police after a bar fight on a Wicker Park patio, witnesses and police said.

Just before 1 a.m. Sunday, a 36-year-old man was asked to leave the patio of Moonshine, 1824 W. Division St., according to Michael Lee, general manager of the bar.

"After paying his tab and leaving the restaurant, [he] went back inside and threatened a female bartender. We asked him to leave and then the door guy was hit. [The doorman] didn't throw any punches and removed him," Lee said.

The bar's doorman was struck in the face and head and suffered "soreness and abrasions," according to Officer Thomas Sweeney, a police spokesman. 

The man, Jeffrey Orszula of Glendale Heights, also damaged lights and flower stands in the bar's sidewalk cafe area, Sweeney said.

When police arrived, Orszula resisted arrest and "did not follow verbal commands," resulting in officers deploying a Taser on him in front of 1815 W. Division St., across from Moonshine, Sweeney said.

A police source described Orszula as "extremely combative" and said an officer's wrist was injured while trying to arrest him. The officers also had to use pepper spray on Orszula because the first Taser discharge had not initially worked, the source said.

Police decided to take Orszula to Resurrection Hospital, and in the ambulance the violent behavior continued, the source said.

He allegedly tried to attack another police officer in the back of the ambulance and was Tasered again, police said.

Orszula's medical condition was not immediately available.

He was charged with three misdemeanor counts of resisting/obstructing a police officer, two misdemeanor counts of aggravated assault to a police officer, one misdemeanor account of battery to employee, one count of criminal damage to property and one count of criminal trespassing.

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