Hoffman Estates Officer Snubs Stroger

By Kevin Robinson in News on May 16, 2008 7:30PM

There's no shortage of disrespect towards Todd Stroger in Cook County these days. His nickname's "The Toddler," he's derided in bars and coffee shops around Chicago, and set up to be politically ambushed at a town hall-style meeting in Palatine, many county residents have no love the Cook County Board President. But one county resident took it a step further Tuesday.

Hoffman Estates police officer Vince Pusateri publicly snubbed Stroger at a bioterrorism drill held at the Sears Centre, refusing to shake Strogers hand, and telling him he's "not happy with the way you run the county." Pusateri's reaction to Stroger has been popular with commenters on the Daily Herald's website, but Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod doesn't think it's cute. "I don't care if people love what he said. What he said was totally inappropriate," told the Daily Herald. "It reflects poorly on me, too." Noting that the county was paying officers for their time that day, McLeod added "It was boorish, it was inappropriate and it was regrettable." McLeod added that he wasn't sure if the village would take action against Pusateri, but that said that when acting in an official capacity, such an opinionated expression is unprofessional. "Stroger was very gracious about it, but that's just not how you do business," he said.