BLM Founder Caught in Violent Office Confrontation Over Financial Allegations
A founder of a Black Lives Matter chapter in Illinois was captured on surveillance video in a violent office confrontation with a female employee who accused him of misusing the organisation's funds, according to a detailed police report. The physical altercation erupted into shoving, grabbing, and a struggle along a corridor at the group's headquarters, prompting a police response.
Police Called to Black Lives Matter Resource Centre
Officers from the Waukegan Police Department were dispatched to the Black Lives Matter Lake County Resource Center on January 12 following reports of a battery involving the group's founder, Clyde J. McLemore, and project manager Nyesha A. Hill. Surveillance footage and official police documents outline a heated dispute that rapidly escalated into a physical fight inside McLemore's private office.
Both individuals stated that the conflict originated from a disagreement about money. According to a police report obtained by local media, McLemore informed responding officers that Hill stormed into his office while he was working on his computer and began demanding money and cigarettes. He claimed he told her he had neither and requested she leave the premises.
Conflicting Accounts of the Altercation
Body-camera footage reveals McLemore telling officers that the organisation "ain't got no money," adding that funds from a grant had already been entirely spent. "That money is gone," McLemore asserted in the recording. He explained to police that he put on his jacket to exit the office when the situation intensified dramatically.
The police report indicates McLemore alleged Hill grabbed him by the hood and struck him in the face, initiating a struggle between the pair. They began pushing and shoving each other around the office before McLemore ultimately dialled 911 for assistance. Officers noted visible injuries on McLemore, including a scratch on his forehead and lip. Despite these injuries, he declined to press charges against Hill.
When officers interviewed Hill, she provided a starkly different narrative focused on allegations concerning the organisation's finances. Hill told police she works as a project manager for McLemore and had entered his office to inquire why she had not received payment for her work.
Allegations of Financial Misuse
According to body camera footage cited in the report, Hill confronted McLemore about how money associated with Black Lives Matter was being utilised. "I told him, 'It's not fair that I come here and I work and you running around taking care of other things that don't got nothing to do with Black Lives Matter with Black Lives Matter money,'" Hill stated, according to the footage. She added, "I'm the one that make this joint work."
Hill informed officers she refused to leave the office until she obtained the money she claimed was owed. She alleged the physical altercation commenced when McLemore rose from his chair and pushed her with his hands in an attempt to forcibly remove her from the room. Hill said the confrontation swiftly escalated into a physical struggle between them.
Police observed that Hill sustained a scratch on her lip and several broken fingernails following the fight. Similar to McLemore, Hill also chose not to pursue criminal charges. She told officers she "does not want to see a black man in jail," but requested that a formal police report and witness statement be documented.
No Arrests Made Due to Conflicting Stories
Because both individuals exhibited injuries and their accounts of the altercation directly conflicted, officers determined they lacked probable cause to make an arrest. Instead, police advised both parties to avoid contact and provided information on how to obtain an order of protection.
The January confrontation was not the sole violent clash between the two captured on video. Police later obtained surveillance footage depicting a separate physical fight between Hill and McLemore inside the same office months earlier. Authorities confirmed the earlier video shows another struggle between the pair that also originated from a dispute about money.
It remains unclear precisely when that prior incident occurred. Hill told police the video was from November 24, while McLemore stated it happened on November 2. The timestamp on the recording itself lists October 24. Detectives acquired the footage after responding to the January 12 incident.
Surveillance and Legal Complications
When investigators later questioned McLemore about the earlier altercation, he informed them his office surveillance system only retains footage for approximately two months and that he did not possess a copy of the recording. He also told detectives there was no surveillance video of the January fight because the altercation occurred inside his office, which is not monitored by cameras.
The footage and body-camera recordings also captured Hill telling officers that the pair had clashed repeatedly over finances tied to the organisation. According to the footage, Hill stated she frequently argued with McLemore over not being paid for her work while she struggled to support her child.
In her formal statement to police, Hill further alleged that she had witnessed McLemore spend money intended for Black Lives Matter activities on other purposes, including "girls" and gambling.
Legal Aftermath and Prior Histories
Court records indicate the dispute later extended into the legal system. McLemore subsequently visited the Lake County Courthouse and obtained an emergency stalking no-contact order against Hill. Both individuals involved in the altercation possess prior legal histories.
Court documents show McLemore was sentenced in October 2024 to 40 days in jail for taking photographs inside the Lake County Circuit Court and posting them online in violation of courthouse rules. He later posted a video acknowledging the incident and declaring, "I do what I want to do."
McLemore has also previously been arrested for trespassing during a Waukegan City Council meeting in October 2022 and for participating in civil unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in February 2021.
Hill likewise has a criminal record, with documents indicating she was previously charged in a kidnapping case in Zion in June 2020. Prosecutors alleged she and an accomplice beat a victim and demanded a ransom for his release. She was later sentenced to more than four years in prison for that offence.
McLemore currently serves as a member of the Lake County Regional Board of School Trustees while also leading the Black Lives Matter Lake County chapter. The organisation has not issued a public statement regarding the incident or the allegations of financial misconduct.
