Man accused of punching person at Glendale Heights board meeting

A man was arrested Thursday after punching another man in the face at a contentious Glendale Heights Village Board meeting, police said.

Daniel Fischer, 61, of Glendale Heights, was charged with misdemeanor battery.

The incident happened about 16 minutes into the meeting, during a public-comment portion, after the victim had criticized trustees and spoke in support of President Chodri Khokhar. Khokhar had been yelling, after Trustee Mohammad Siddiqi interrupted the speaker and loudly demanded that the city’s attorney, Peter Pacione, stop the speaker because the man was not talking about anything on the meeting’s agenda.

Fischer was released on his own recognizance and has an Oct. 24 court date.

The village posted a statement on Facebook Friday.

“The Village is committed to maintaining a safe and respectful environment at all public meetings, and we will continue to cooperate with law enforcement as they complete their investigation. We take incidents of violence seriously and ask that all residents, staff and elected officials conduct themselves with civility and respect.”

Khokhar and some trustees have been at odds since Khokhar was elected in 2021, especially after Khokhar was charged with felonies accusing him of filing a false police report in April 2023. He later was also charged with misdemeanor battery, accused of pushing Police Chief George Pappas.

The false-report charge alleges that Khokhar reported to police that Siddiqi had threatened to bite him.

The board called on Khokhar after his arrest last year, and Trustee Chester Pojack Thursday called for Khokhar to resign.

On Wednesday, Khokhar fired his attorney and asked a judge for permission to represent himself in the criminal case. He contends the allegations are false and in retaliation for his fight against what he believes to be corruption, nepotism and discrimination by village officials.