Police in Chicago said 100 people were arrested and 13 officers were injured after hundreds smashed windows, stole from stores and clashed with police early Monday …
Police in Chicago said 100 people were arrested and 13 officers were injured after hundreds smashed windows, stole from stores and clashed with police early Monday in Chicago’s Magnificent Mile shopping district and other parts of the city’s downtown. About 400 officers were dispatched to Chicago’s downtown area after seeing posts on social media encouraging a “caravan” of cars to engage in looting, Chicago Police Department Superintendent David Brown said at a news conference Monday. At one point, shots were fired at police and officers returned fire. No officers were wounded by gunfire, but Brown said a security guard and a civilian were hospitalized in critical condition after being shot. Brown said the social media posts appear to have been prompted by an incident earlier in the day in which police officers wounded a 20-year-old man with a long criminal history who shot at them. A Facebook video later circulated falsely claiming police had shot and killed a 15-year-old boy. “This was not an organized protest. Rather, this was an incident of pure criminality,” Brown said. “This was an act of violence against our police officers and against our city.” Along the Magnificent Mile, people were seen going in and out of stores carrying shopping bags full of merchandise and also running out of a bank that had its windows smashed, the Chicago Tribune reported, and as the crowd grew vehicles dropped off more people in the area. One officer was seen slumped against a building and a rock was thrown at a police vehicle, the newspaper said. Police worked early Monday to disperse the crowds. Brown said a heavy police presence is expected in the downtown area and a special team of investigators will examine hours of footage from Sunday night and pledged “to pursue these offenders to the fullest extent of the law.” Those arrested were expected to face charges including looting, disorderly conduct and battery against police. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot called this incident “abject criminal behavior.” “This is not legitimate First Amendment protected speech. These were not poor people engaged in petty theft to feed themselves and their family,” she said.
