Lake Villa Detective Disciplined For ‘You’re White’ Remark While Detaining Teen

An Illinois officer was disciplined for “behavior unbecoming an officer” after he told a teenager outside a local pawn shop in Lake Villa, Lake County, that he was being detained because "he was white," the police chief stated Tuesday.

The incident happened when Detective Esteban Gomez was conducting a theft investigation, and ordered a group of five teenagers to sit down on the curb outside the shop, Police Chief Craig Somerville said.

A video of the exchange was shot by one of the teenagers in the group, who posted it on Facebook on Monday.

In the video, the detective is heard asking the group whether they had “weed” on them.

After that, one of the teens was heard asking Gomez whether he was being detained for being a teenager or wearing baggy pants.

The detective replies, "Because you are white.”

In a statement Tuesday, Somerville stated that his investigation of the case revealed that Detective Gomez responded “inappropriately and unprofessionally” in dealing with the teenagers, Chicago Tribune reported.

He then added, “Detective Gomez has been disciplined for behavior unbecoming an officer. He will be assisting me with speaking to the parents and teens involved in this incident. I apologize to anyone who may have been offended by what is depicted on this video. This happened on my watch, and I assume full responsibility.”

He then went on to say, “The detective [Gomez] immediately brought this to my attention when he returned to the station. Shortly thereafter, I received a call from the parent of one of the teens informing me of the incident. Detective Gomez admitted his words were poorly chosen and insensitive, and he immediately regretted what he had said.”

Somerville in his statement also talked about Gomez’s volunteer work with the community’s young people, and described the detective as a “hard-working”, “dedicated officer” who “cares about the people.”

He also said that one of the teenagers was charged with obstruction of justice after he gave a fake name to the detective.

Dezi Baczek, 18, who posted the video on Facebook wrote in an accompanying caption that Gomez was “discriminating” against them because they were “white."

She also claimed that the group didn’t commit any wrongdoing.

“The second I walked outside, I was yelled at,” said Baczek, adding the detective told her she would be arrested if she didn’t comply.

She said that the group didn't know that the person who had given them a ride earlier was under an investigation for theft.

According to a report by WMAQ-TV, an NBC-affiliated TV station, Baczek’s mother, Missy Maczek, said she called up the police chief to complain about the incident.

She reportedly said, “I was outraged. I was very upset. I felt like we were being outcasted because we’re white, which is just unheard of.”

On Tuesday afternoon, Missy was called to the police station where Somerville apologized to her. “I honestly believe the chief means it,” said Missy after the apology.

When asked if she was pleased with the apology, she said, “Definitely.”