Buffalo Grove Dad Pleads Guilty to Punching Metra Conductor

Guilty Plea in Metra Conductor Assault Case

Chicago, IL - A Buffalo Grove man pleaded guilty Thursday to battery, a misdemeanor, for reportedly punching a Metra conductor and trying to push him down a flight of stairs in December 2015 at Chicago Union Station.

George J. Kopsias, 51, has been sentenced to five days on a sheriff’s work program and a year of court supervision, according to Metra, and he was ordered not to contact the conductor and to pay fines and court costs.

Kopsias got on North Central Service train No. 116 around 4:40 p.m. Dec. 8, 2015, and he allegedly punched the conductor in the face with a closed fist, Metra reported.

He got off the train and went north along the platform to the Madison Street exit as he pushed a baby stroller with his wife and three children.

The conductor followed Kopsias upstairs from the platform to Madison, where the Kopsias tried to push the conductor down the stairs, Metra reported.

The conductor was treated for facial injuries at Northwestern Memorial Hospital

The Metra Police Department identified Kopsias from video of him entering and leaving the train station, and police issued a warrant for his arrest.

“The safety of our conductors and of our passengers is our highest priority, and we will vigorously investigate all incidents and seek to prosecute all suspects to the fullest extent of the law,” said Metra Police Chief Joseph Perez in a statement.

Metra asks customers to report suspicious or criminal activity on Metra property to Metra police at 312-322-2800.