CHICAGO — Two United States citizens were attacked by federal officers while at work at a suburban Forest Park cemetery during Operation Midway Blitz last year. The pair has now filed suit in federal court against both the federal government and the individual officers after their earlier claim for compensation went unanswered.
The lawsuit stems from a violent encounter at Concordia Cemetery in Forest Park on October 7, 2025. According to the complaint, after cemetery workers Darren Eichler and Daniel Greer criticized DHS officers who were pursuing a man through the Des Plaines River, federal agents descended on the cemetery, forced their way through a locked gate, sprayed the men with chemical agents, and threw them to the ground.
The complaint further alleges that Eichler experienced severe pain, chest palpitations, and difficulty breathing but was denied medical care for more than an hour despite repeated requests. When he was finally taken to a hospital, he remained handcuffed and under guard, including by the officer who had sprayed him.
“No one has the right to recklessly and violently attack other people – not even federal officers acting with impunity under the Trump Administration,” said Alexandra Block, Director of the Criminal Legal System and Policing Project at the ACLU of Illinois, who represents Eichler and Greer. “A badge is not a license for violence. This lawsuit seeks accountability from both the Trump Administration and the individual officers responsible for violating our clients' constitutional rights,” said Block. “We are asking the federal court to address this wrong.”
After being sprayed with a chemical agent, Greer was forced to the ground and restrained with zip ties. Agents then made him sit in a painful position, shackled his legs, and transported him by van to a DHS facility. Despite his obvious need for treatment, agents provided no medical assistance as the chemical agent continued to burn his face, and they never told Greer why he was being detained.
A copy of the complaint filed in the Northern District of Illinois can be found here.
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