Video appears to show Chicago Police officer pointing gun during street takeover
By Sabrina Franza
CHICAGO (CBS) — A controversial video shows a Chicago Police officer appearing to point a gun out the window while responding to a street takeover near Midway International Airport on the city’s Southwest Side this week.
Witnesses who spoke with CBS News Chicago claimed no one at the takeover was threatening the police in any way. They said everyone ran because they thought they were going to get shot.
Video taken Sunday night into Monday morning showed a Chicago Police officer pulling up to disperse a teen takeover—while appearing to point their gun out a half-open window in their police vehicle.
“Everyone’s enjoying themselves—you know? Everybody just goes and enjoys themselves. They don’t really look for trouble—nothing like that,” said one witness. “Everyone wants to take videos of the cars, takes pictures, et cetera and then keep it moving—and not cause no harm.”
The witness explained what they saw happen, under the promise of anonymity.
“You’re a police officer, so you should know how to act,” thsaid. “That’s the reason you got the training they gave you, you know, so you know how to act when you pull up to certain scenes like that.”
In exclusive drone video, another angle of the event shows tire marks from where cars had been doing donuts. Officers are seen on the ground, seemingly trying to disperse the cars near 59th Street and Pulaski Road.
“She could have easily have just shot at somebody just by pointing that gun out, and got somebody hit for no reason,” said the witness.
This was not the first time police have been called to such a scene. In Chicago, drifting is illegal—punishable by a tow and a possible fine.
CBS News Chicago asked Mylan Masson, who spent two decades as the director of law enforcement training for the State of Minnesota, what would have warranted an officer pointing a firearm in such a fashion.
“A gun, or if I knew that there were a lot of weapons involved, I would wait for backup and get more people there. You just can’t handle a crowd that large with one person with one weapon—it’s just impossible.”
Chicago’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability said it was notified of the incident by the CPD Bureau of Internal Affairs, but would not provide any other details while the investigation is ongoing.
The identity of the officer is not known.
Chicago police face gang members armed with military-style rifles
Chicago Police Department warns that powerful assault rifles capable of piercing bullet-proof vests are being used on the streets.
By Bethany Minelle, News Reporter
The Chicago Police Department has issued a warning to its officers after three fatal street killings using high-powered military-style weapons.
Officers are finding themselves outgunned by gang members equipped with powerful assault rifles such as AR-15s and AK-47s.
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The force has warned officers that such weapons are powerful enough to pierce bullet-proof vests.
There were 762 murders in Chicago last year – the highest amount in almost 20 years – with gang-related violence blamed for the sharp rise in homicides in a few of the city’s poorest neighbourhoods.
Police increased patrols after gang member Daniel Cordova was shot dead on Saturday morning.
The 26-year-old’s body was found between parked cars in the Brighton Park neighbourhood in the South Side area.
The following day, 10 people were shot during a makeshift memorial for Mr Cordova about a block away from where his body was discovered.
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More than two dozen shots were fired in the mass shooting. Two people were killed and eight others injured.
The man and woman killed, who were brother and sister, were believed to be members of the same gang as Mr Cordova. They were shot with the same type of high-powered military-style weapon, police said.
A rival gang is suspected to be responsible for all three deaths.
In a separate shooting on Monday, two plain clothes police officers were injured after being shot at with a high-powered rifle while sitting in an unmarked vehicle.
One officer was shot in the arm and hip and the other in the back after seemingly being mistaken for rival gang members.
An 18-year old has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm.
No arrests have been made in the suspected gang shootings at the weekend.
