Cook County Assistant States Attorney hospitalized after North Side attack in gay hate related incident

A Cook County prosecutor remains hospitalized Friday after losing “a lot of blood” when two men attacked him for trying to stop an assault on two apparently gay men Thursday night in Lincoln Park.

The attack happened about 7 p.m. in the 200 block of West Diversey Parkway, police News Affairs Officer Joshua Purkiss said.

The 32-year-old employee of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office was walking by himself along the lakefront when he saw two people approach two apparently gay men and verbally assault them, state’s attorney’s office spokeswoman Sally Daly said.

The prosecutor yelled at the men to stop in an attempt to prevent a physical attack, Daly said. The attackers then physically attacked him.

They slashed or stabbed the prosecutor multiple times, including cutting his face, right side and arms, Daly said.

Police said the victim was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center with “non-life-threatening injuries.” He remained there Friday afternoon and State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez visited him at the hospital, Daly said.

“He did lose a lot of blood,” Daly said. “He is in pain but thankfully is going to be OK.”

The prosecutor has been an assistant state’s attorney since 2008 and currently works in the juvenile justice bureau, Daly said.

Area North detectives are conducting an “ongoing investigation” and declined to release more information about the attackers.