Video: Skokie Mayoral Candidate Accused Of Assault

SKOKIE, IL — Skokie Mayoral Candidate David "Azi" Lifsics was accused of pushing a woman and yelling at her outside Village Hall in 2023 during a Village Board meeting, according to a video published by the woman.

According to Skokie resident Kimberly Polka, 50, the incident happened on Sept. 5, 2023 just outside Village Hall as she was on her way inside the building. Polka said she intended to return to the building after giving a public comment and stepping out.

While opening the door, she claims she was confronted by Lifsics, who accused her of hitting him with the door. Despite insisting, it was an accident, Polka said Lifsics kept yelling and insisting she apologize.

"There was no reason for me to think there was another person on the other side of the door," Polka told Patch. "I have a strong personality, but I am not mean, and that is a mean thing to do. I would never hit someone with a door on purpose."

Things escalated when Polka says Lifsics put both of his hands on her shoulders to prevent her from going down the stairs outside the door and pushed her back up the stairs, Polka claimed. At that point, the incident caught the attention of police officers nearby, who attempted to defuse the situation.

According to Lifsics, Polka ran out of Village Hall, hitting him with the door, in order to get to another person that was down the stairs. As Polka left the building, Lifsics said it seemed like she was attempting to go through him.

"She kept on trying to go through me, to get to [the other woman]. I, in defense, pushed back, and then there was a little bit of a tussle," Lifsics told Patch.

Both parties confirmed to Patch that no police report was filed about the incident, but a video recorded by a witness at Village Hall includes clips of both Lifsics and Polka speaking to police about the situation.

In the video, Lifsics is seen pointing at Polka and witnesses, as well as arguing with someone off-screen.

Though Lifsics doesn't deny pushing Polka, he said he doesn't believe the incident should be considered an assault.

"I would never put my hands on somebody, if it's not in self-defense. I've been involved, as an attorney in things like this, when there has been domestic violence, and it's never pretty. But to take the ability of somebody to defend themselves out of the context of what had happened, I don't think that's good on a legal level. I don't think that's good on a human level," Lifsics said.

Since the incident, both Polka and Lifsics have spoken over the phone and have met in person to discuss the incident.

Polka said she was hesitant to share the story because she wasn't interested in tearing Lifsics down, but she felt it was necessary when he announced his intent to run for mayor of Skokie.

"I can forgive you, but it doesn't make you fit to be Mayor," Polka said.