A suburban mayor is charged with misdemeanor simple battery after he allegedly choked an employee who asked to work overtime, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Dixmoor Mayor Keevan Grimmett, 53, is accused of grabbing 21-year-old Andre Mitchell by his shirt collar and choking him Oct. 5. Mitchell was a maintenance worker for Putting Illinois to Work, a program rolled out last year by Gov. Pat Quinn to fight poverty. Mitchell reportedly asked for extra work after he found out it was offered to other workers.
State police arrested Grimmett Jan. 6 when he turned himself in, according to the Sun-Times. He appeared in a Markham court Friday.
Grimmett told the Sun-Times that he plans to stay in office, despite calls for his resignation. His term expires in 2013.
His case was continued to Monday.
