A video making rounds online depicts an altercation between a Chicago police officer and a man in the Loop. The video has fueled a narrative that the man mistook the officer for a security guard, stole his phone, and suffered the consequences of targeting the wrong individual.
However, this story is inaccurate, as per a CPD report detailing the arrest of the man, which happened less than two weeks after his previous arrest on the same block for an unrelated narcotics issue.
According to the report, the incident occurred around 2 p.m. on May 4 when a 33-year-old man signaled to a Chicago police officer returning from traffic court in a marked squad car. The man claimed that 36-year-old Brandon Mickens had just slapped him and identified Mickens as the alleged assailant standing in the 300 block of South State Street.
The officer exited his squad car, approached Mickens, and attempted to detain him by grabbing his shirt while calling for on-duty officers, the report states. Mickens allegedly resisted and fled, leading to a struggle captured on video and shared online.
As the two clashed on the sidewalk, a witness alerted a CPD mass transit unit, reporting that an officer was being “attacked” nearby. The officers responded and assisted in arresting Mickens.
The CPD report indicates that the officer sustained scratches on his face and arm, along with a swollen wrist. Mickens faces charges of felony aggravated battery of a peace officer and misdemeanor counts of battery and resisting arrest. This marks his second arrest on the same block within two weeks.
Previously, on April 24, officers from a CPD surveillance team allegedly observed Mickens making gestures they believed were linked to narcotics sales and noticed a clear bag containing a pill in his pocket. Upon detaining him, officers reportedly found three suspected ecstasy pills. Mickens was charged with possession of a controlled substance and soliciting unlawful business in that case.
Following his recent arrest, Judge Ankur Srivastava detained Mickens for breaching pretrial release conditions related to the narcotics case. Court records reveal Mickens had been convicted twice in 2022 for being a felon in possession of a firearm, receiving consecutive sentences of three and four years in prison.
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