A Laugh Factory manager was arrested outside the comedy club in Chicago. Police arrested him for allegedly obstructing a federal immigration operation.
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However, his mother claimed that authorities “kidnapped” him. Accordin to NBC Chicago, federal agents got in a physical struggle with the Laugh Factory manager as well as his mother.
The Chicago Police Department responded to the scene. They found federal agents physically wrestling with Laugh Factory night manager Nathan Griffin. They arrested Griffin amid screams from bystanders.
“Why are you doing this? Where are you taking him?” bystanders yelled at them.
According to Will Kolic, a witness, multiple cars pulled up outside the comedy club. He said that the men grabbed and tried to snatch Griffin away while he was standing with his mother. They also restrained his mother, Elaine Plybon, to the ground.
Laugh Factory Manager Arrested
A Border Patrol spokesperson told NBC Chicago the Laugh Factory manager “attempted to impede and obstruct federal officers.”
“The individual was immediately detained and turned over to the FBI for investigation,” Border Patrol said.
Meanwhile, the manager’s mother claims her son was “kidnapped by Border Patrol in front of my eyes.”
“For those of you who don’t know, I was in Chicago visiting my son, and he was kidnapped by Border Patrol in front of my eyes,” Plybon said.
“When I think about going out the door in the morning, I don’t want to… Because I do not want to encounter the SUV, the screams, the crying and the horrific things that I saw before I was pulled into the fray when somebody tried to kidnap my son.”
The brother-in-law of the Laugh Factory’s night manager also launched a GoFundMe to help with legal fees.
“My brother in law Nathan was detained by border patrol officers today in Chicago, despite the fact that he is a natural-born American citizen,” Tom Pinney wrote.
“After being arrested and hidden throughout the system, he finally resurfaced about 4 hours after his detainment in FBI custody awaiting a hearing for a federal assault charge which could carry 8 years in prison if convicted.”