In the early hours of Sunday, a vehicle drove into a crowd on the Near West Side, injuring at least four Chicago Police officers and one bystander, as reported by witnesses and initial findings at the scene. The incident led to the arrest of at least 14 individuals, including the driver and two passengers. The Chicago Police Department has yet to release an official statement regarding the event.
Police had been stationed at Washburne and Throop since Saturday night to oversee a large teen block party. According to Justin Peters, head of Chitown Crime Chasers, the gathering involved approximately 500 people.
By midnight, police supervisors began towing vehicles to clear the streets and prevent additional arrivals by car. Despite these efforts, the crowd’s size and behavior became increasingly unmanageable, prompting the Chicago Police Department to deploy teams from various districts. The crowd’s size, coupled with sporadic fights and pepper spray confrontations, made it challenging for officers to access the scene.
A police supervisor cautioned officers via radio about reckless driving in the area, with vehicles moving in multiple directions through the crowded streets. As tensions escalated, a deputy chief took command, forming skirmish lines to divide the crowd and direct groups of teens in different directions.
At approximately 2:51 a.m., the deputy chief informed dispatchers that westbound Roosevelt Road was reopened, according to police radio communications. Shortly after, eyewitnesses reported a westbound vehicle on Roosevelt colliding with a crowd at Loomis Street.
“My violence prevention team was helping, pushing the crowd back, and then this car just came out of nowhere and just plowed through the whole crowd,” Peters remarked in a Facebook video. “There are several police officers who are on the ground.”
Preliminary accounts suggest that several officers were injured, with one being taken away by ambulance. Peters mentioned seeing five officers “in the air” as the car hit them. Additionally, at least one civilian was reportedly injured.
A source revealed that the Chicago Police Department detained at least 14 individuals during the incident, including the driver and two passengers in the vehicle.
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