Chicago’s Magnificent Mile Looting sparked by false rumor cops shot a child: Over 100 arrested and 13 cops injured as racial tensions flare up nationwide on sixth anniversary of Michael Brown’s death

Riots and looting break out on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile sparked by false rumor cops shot a child: Over 100 are arrested and 13 cops injured as racial tensions flare up nationwide on sixth anniversary of Michael Brown’s death

Looters ransacked downtown Chicago on Sunday night and police came under gunfire in a night of shocking violence that involved 100 arrests after a 20-year-old suspect was shot while running away from police.   

The chaos began on Sunday afternoon when police responded to Englewood where there had been complaints of a man with a gun. The suspect has not been named but was described by police on Monday as a 20-year-old man with a criminal history that includes charges of burglary, child endangerment and assault and battery.

When officers arrived at the scene, he began running and opened fire on them as they pursued him. The cops returned fire, wounding him, and arrested him. He was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive. 

A different story spread among residents of the neighborhood who were told that the police officers had inadvertently shot a child, according to The Chicago Tribune. Crowds gathered in protest, creating a tense stand-off that lasted several hours and was described by Deputy Police Chief Yolanda Talley as ‘very hostile’.  

In response to that incident, people on social media organized for a caravan of cars to descend on the city’s downtown shopping district to loot. 

Police found out about the posts and within 15 minutes, were downtown but the violence had begun.  

Cars plowed through storefronts to give the crowds easy access and despite there being 400 officers dispatched to the area, the cops struggled to keep up with the crowds. 

One officer was attacked with a bottle, another had his nose broken and a group of different officers were shot at by drive-by assailants while trying to arrest other looters.   

On Monday morning, police were still arresting people at a Best Buy which was among the stores that had been ransacked. Some of the city’s bridges were raised and tunnels were closed while police tried to regain control of the situation. 

Mayor Lori Lightfoot abhorred the violence on Monday morning, calling ‘straight-up criminality’ that had nothing to do with peaceful protests. 

It was one of a handful of incidents of unrest across America that coincided with the sixth anniversary of Michael Brown’s death.  

Hundreds of people 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.

At one point, shots were fired at police and officers returned fire. 

Deputy police chief Talley said the situation was ‘very hostile’. 

‘Emotions were running high. They were responding to misinformation. It happened while we were processing the crime scene. We were holding the line and if there had not been a crime scene there, we would have not been there,’ she said. 

At a press conference on Monday morning, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown called the night one of ‘shameful destruction’. 

‘The seeds for the shameful destruction we saw last night were sewn [when] officers responded to calls of man with a gun. The individual quickly fled, as this person was running way, a gun was pointed a our police officers. 

‘This person fired shots at our officers. Officers returned fire. The shooter is a 20-year-old man with four previous arrests for charges including burglary, child endangerment and battery…After this shooting, a crowd gathered on the South Side.

‘Tempers flared, fueled by misinformation, as the afternoon turned into evening,’ he said.

What followed was a night of extraordinary violence and tension that included; 

• 400 officers being sent to downtown Chicago to deal with looters who organized themselves on social media
• 100 arrests for looting, assault and attacks on police officers 
• Thirteen cops being injured including one who had his nose broken and another who had a bottle thrown at him 
• A store security guard was shot defending it from looters 
• One group of cops facing gunfire from drive-by shooters who opened fire on them as they arrested a group of looters 
• A weekend that saw 31 shootings and 149 gun confiscations    

Mayor Lori Lightfoot fumed on Monday morning that there was ‘absolutely no excuse’ for the violence that unfolded. 

‘We woke up in shock this morning. These individuals engaged in brazen destruction. This had nothing to do with legitimate protected first amendment speech. Regardless what occurred in our downtown was abject criminal behavior, pure and simple. 

‘There cannot be any excuse for it. Period. This was not legitimate first amendment speech, not poor people engaged in petty theft to feed themselves and their families… 

‘This was straight up felony criminal conduct,’ she said.  

Lightfoot said it was disturbing that the looters targeted small businesses that are still struggling to recover from months of COVID-19 closures. 

‘This was an assault on our city. It undermines public safety and breathes a sense of insecurity among our residents. 

A pedestrian hops over debris Monday, Aug. 10, 2020, after a jewelry store was vandalized in Chicago’s famed Loop. A store security guard was shot last night while defending the area and he is in a critical condition

Kajal Dalal walks through her family’s food and liquor store Monday, Aug. 10, 2020, after it was vandalized in downtown Chicago

Kajal Dalal walks through her family’s food and liquor store Monday, Aug. 10, 2020, after it was vandalized in downtown Chicago

‘It undermines our recovery efforts – these same stores were hit previously, not just by looting but by closures related to COVID-19.

‘They are also small stores and restaurants all of which we’re in the process of recovering and getting back to work, and now this.’  

Along the Magnificent Mile, people were seen going in and out of stores carrying shopping bags full of merchandise as well as at a bank, 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, several arrests were made and a rock was thrown at a police vehicle, the newspaper said. Police worked early Monday to disperse the crowds.

There was a large police presence Monday morning outside an Apple store located north of Chicago´s downtown area.

 Blocks away, debris was strewn in parking lots in front of a Best Buy and a large liquor store.

Train and bus service into downtown was temporarily suspended at the request of public safety officials, the Chicago Transit Authority said on Twitter. 

Bridges over the Chicago River were lifted, preventing travel to and from the downtown area, and Illinois State Police blocked some expressway ramps into downtown. 

SEATTLE  

In Seattle, there were clashes between Black Lives Matter protesters and The Proud Boys –  an alt-right organization who are often referred to as neo-fascists. 

Seattle also witnessed further violence yesterday as alleged Proud Boy members got into a violent clash with Black Lives Matter supporters in Seattle during a pro-police rally.

Thousands of pro-police supporters donned blue and American patriotic colors as the massive crowd of demonstrators wrapped around city hall for a ‘Back the Blue’ rally.

The pro-police group was gathered outside Seattle City Hall ahead of today’s City Council vote that is expected to defund parts of the police department. 

Pro-police protesters were soon met with a group of anti-racism, Black Lives Matter supporters who arrived to counter-protest. 

The situation turned violent when a number of alleged Proud Boys marched through the group of anti-racism protesters.

Proud Boys is a far-right group that focuses on ‘Western Values’ while having a history of misogyny, transphobia, islamophobia and white supremacy. 

SEATTLE: In Seattle, groups of pro-police and anti-racism demonstraters both made their voices heard ahead of the city hall’s decision over the police department being defunded

Protesters who arrived at City Hall were asked to wear blue in support of law enforcement and were heard chanting ‘Blue Lives Matter’