Chicago Police Superintendent Warns Looters: We’re Coming For You
City's top cop says 100 arrests have already been made
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Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown warned looters that his officers are coming after them and touted 100 arrests already being made amid the violence and destruction in the city.
During a press conference, Brown noted violence and looting followed an officer-involved shooting in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood.
Brown said the 20-year-old male shooting suspect allegedly pointed a gun at officers and “shot at officers first.”
Following the incident, Brown said a crowd gathered and was “fueled by misinformation as the afternoon turned into evening.”
He noted that social media posts were encouraging people to loot in downtown Chicago.
Brown dispatched 400 officers downtown, noting that “car caravans” of would-be looters were soon headed to the area.
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Looting and violence soon followed, which included gunfire and violence against police.
13 Chicago police officers were injured during the incident, according to Brown.
There are hundreds and hundreds of people downtown right now. #Chicago #ChicagoScanner pic.twitter.com/03CziG6vHo
— Paige Fry (@paigexfry) August 10, 2020
WGN-TV reporter Sarah Jindra posted a video which showed looters running into a store:
There are hundreds and hundreds of people downtown right now. #Chicago #ChicagoScanner pic.twitter.com/03CziG6vHo
— Paige Fry (@paigexfry) August 10, 2020
Brown stated over 100 arrests were “for looting, disorderly conduct, [and] battery against police.”
He added:
“CPD will not stand by as our beautiful becomes some place that our people fear.”
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Brown has also instructed officers to investigate security footage, and other surveillance images, to catch looters.
The news comes a week after reports revealed Chicago had a 139 percent increase in murders during July 2020 compared to July 2019.
There have been 105 murders in July 2020, up from 44 reported in July 2019, according to ABC7.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported there were 406 “shooting incidents” during July 2020, an increase of 75 percent “from the 232 last July."
Murders in Chicago, over a longer period, were up 51 percent from January 1, 2020, through July 31, 2020, when compared to those reported in 2019.
