Man caught on camera ripping down Edgewater couple's Pride flag in broad daylight; "I got very, very pissed"
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Pride flags ripped and stolen on the North Side. One couple thought Monday's storms knocked one flag off their front porch. Instead, their camera revealed a crime.
CBS 2's Steven Graves has reaction, and why some are struggling to reach police about it.
Edgewater is known as one of the most LGBTQ+ communities in Chicago. So when a Pride flag is stolen or vandalized, people who live here can't help but think there is a concerning motivation for these criminals.
A nailed-down flag holder was ripped of a concrete window sill on Monday. Patrick Nunes and his partner, who did not want to be identified, thought the sound was powerful wind damage from Monday's storms, until they looked at the doorbell camera.
"I got very, very pissed. I'm like, why?" Nunes said.
Video footage showed a person running off with a flag down Hermitage Avenue near Hollywood Avenue.
The couple said it was a rainbow flag they'd put up last weekend to honor Pride Month.
"You can't even put up a flag for what you believe in, and felt definitely violated," Nunes' partner said.
They posted video to social media.
Someone who appears to be Chicago Police's LGBTQ+ liaison wrote to call them and file a report.
We found the same message under a video of someone ripping down a pride flag back in late May, at a house that appears to be right around the corner on Edgewater Avenue.
Police said they don't have a report on the earlier incident, but when Nunes called to file his report, after being encouraged, he said, "I tried a few times every now and then, different times of the day, but I keep getting a busy signal."
"It seems kind of impossible, or really difficult to get a hold of somebody," Nunes' partner said.
Same for us at CBS 2. We called twice Wednesday morning, only to be left on hold for close to 15 minutes.
GRAVES: "Why do you feel it is so important that people know? Police know?"
NUNES: "One's safety overall. … If it is something that's targeted to somebody specific, to the LGBTQA+ community, that's very concerning."
For now, they'll continue to raise awareness, while putting up a new Pride flag in the process.o
Since we contacted Chicago police, the couple says they did get a call from officers.
In a statement, a CPD spokeswoman said: "Our LGBTQ+ liaisons are committed to supporting and advocating for our LGBTQ+ community in Chicago. These liaison officers are regularly in the field working to connect with community members across the city and address their concerns. Additionally, the liaisons can be reached through email at lgbtq@chicagopolice.org."
