Father dies while defending daughter during hate crime
A Chicago man died while defending his 15-year-old daughter from an alleged hate crime Wednesday.
Each day, 59-year-old Michael Tingling would walk his daughter Masharah to school and be waiting for her to finish up when classes were over. When a man hurled racial epithets at them, Tingling pulled his daughter behind him to protect her.
The man then struck her father in the chest, he tried to defend himself but moments later he collapsed in a nearby business and was rushed to the hospital in full cardiac arrest, according to prosecutors. Michael Tingling, 59, was pronounced dead at St. Francis Hospital in Evanston less than a hour. […] A judge ordered Joseph Firek, 59, who is on parole for a residential burglary conviction, held on $250,000 bail Friday on charges of first-degree murder and a hate crime.
Firek has a criminal record spanning almost 20 years. His attorney said that he was receiving psychiatric treatment. According to prosecutors, the altercation started about 2 p.m. by the 7100 block of North Clark street.
The girl’s mother said Tingling picked up his daughter early from school for a doctor’s appointment. As Firek walked by, he brushed his shoulder against Masharah, looking at her as he did. Poice say Firek also made “inappropriate gestures” at the girl.
That’s when Tingling put her behind him, telling Firek, ‘You need to walk away.” Tingling was pronounced dead at 2:46 p.m. He died of heart disease and from stress due to the altercation.
So sad.
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