DeKalb's beloved Victor E. Huskie statue, a downtown fixture since 2023, was found cut from its base earlier this month and has now been declared unrepairable after officials say four Northern Illinois University hockey club players climbed on it trying to pose for photos. City Manager Bill Nicklas said the statue broke at the ankles and toppled forward during the encounter, and the players have since admitted responsibility.
Statue Found Severed From Its Base
The statue was discovered cut from its base on Nov. 10, according to Shaw Local. It had stood at the corner of Lincoln Highway and South Second Street since its unveiling during NIU's Homecoming Block Party in October 2023, when it was presented as a downtown gathering spot sponsored by FNBO, according to NIU Today. Standing more than six feet tall, the Huskie figure had been intended as a spot for selfies and photos, per the same NIU Today report. Video from downtown cameras helped investigators piece together what happened and ultimately identify those involved, Nicklas said. “It was all caught on camera, and that helped us learn their identity,” he told Shaw Local.
Posing Turned Into Climbing, Officials Say
Footage reviewed by officials showed the encounter escalate from simple posing into more physical contact with the statue, according to the NBC 5 Chicago report. One of the four students, according to that account, attempted to mount the statue from behind, and it snapped and fell forward as a result. The Northern Star reported the same sequence, saying downtown cameras showed one of the players attempting to mount the statue from behind, causing it to break from the ankles and fall forward. NBC 5 Chicago reported that the students then placed the foot-less statue on its back behind its stand before fleeing the scene.
Players Admit Responsibility
DeKalb police identified the four men as Northern Illinois University hockey club players through the investigation and the downtown camera footage, and authorities invited them to the station for interviews, per NBC 5 Chicago's reporting. All four men admitted to breaking the statue, the Northern Star reported. The outlet's account aligns with NBC 5 Chicago's description of the students admitting responsibility once questioned.
Why It Can't Be Fixed
Nicklas said the statue's construction makes repair impossible. Its core is a lightweight polyfoam substance that cannot hold bracing, and splicing the broken pieces back together would leave it structurally weaker than a one-piece statue, he explained, according to the Northern Star. Nicklas estimated the statue originally cost between $18,000 and $20,000, Shaw Local reported.
Charges and Next Steps Remain Unsettled
Accounts differ on exactly what the four men were charged with. NBC 5 Chicago reported that the four face charges of criminal damage to public property, while the Northern Star reported that the men were charged and directed to appear before DeKalb's administrative hearing judge but said the city's statement did not specify what they were charged with. NBC 5 Chicago additionally reported that the students face possible fines and/or restitution, attributed to Nicklas.
DeKalb's municipal code addresses this kind of damage directly. Chapter 52 of the city code defines public property to include anything in which the State of Illinois, DeKalb, another municipality, or another public body holds an ownership interest or a right to possession or use, according to the City of DeKalb's Chapter 52. The same code states that no person may injure, deface, or destroy public property without prior permission from the City Manager or the manager's designee. Separately, the city's description of its Administrative Hearing Process characterizes such proceedings as civil, not criminal, matters that can involve fines and other penalties excluding criminal penalties. The outcome of any hearing, along with any fine or restitution ultimately ordered, has not been established.
