Just hours after a police officer fatally shot a man in Chicago’s South Side on Saturday night, local residents gathered to protest.
Soon, protests escalated as residents clashed with police and several arrests were made.
via Complex:
Chicago’s Police Chief of Patrol Fred Waller said police began following a man in the South Shore neighborhood on Saturday “who they thought might be armed.” “When they approached him, he tried to push their hands away,” Waller told reporters. “He started flailing and swinging away, trying to make an escape. And as he made an escape, he reached for the gun.”
At one point during the incident, an officer shot the unidentified man, who was later taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead. Waller told reporters police recovered a unfired semiautomatic weapon from the man. Some tweets have identified the man as a local barber, but that has yet to be confirmed.
After the shooting, residents began approaching the officers and disputing the police department’s version of the incident. This is the latest event to expose the mistrust between police and local residents in black communities in Chicago. National protests against police brutality and Black Lives Matter turned its attention toward the city in 2015 after graphic footage of a police officer shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald was released.
Protestors shouted, “Who do you protect? Who do you serve?” at law enforcement on Saturday night. Many outlets noted the speed at which the protests broke out.
Reporter Nader Issa was on the ground and his play-by-play account of what transpired is the most detailed of what we’ve seen thus far.
Take a look:
A very large crowd is gathering at 71st/Chappel, where Chicago Police say they shot and killed a person this evening. It's hard to put in words how tense the scene is. Witnesses say a female officer shot the man in the back while he was running away. He was a local barber. pic.twitter.com/aaV6smY07V
— Nader Issa (@NaderDIssa) July 15, 2018
The crowd just finished chanting "Who do you serve? Who do you protect?"
The crowd formed within two minutes after the shooting, witnesses say. pic.twitter.com/GEvOEZQ2St
— Nader Issa (@NaderDIssa) July 15, 2018
The man killed by police was named Tommy, but he went by "Snoop," per people at the scene. The woman pictured here, Gloria Rainge, says Snoop has been her barber for five years. She watched him get shot.
"He was cool, laid back, very intelligent." pic.twitter.com/KKB4D0h6yg
— Nader Issa (@NaderDIssa) July 15, 2018
One elderly woman: "We ain't trying to hurt nobody. We just trying to live decent."
Another woman: "We just want to live. Our black kids keep getting killed. We just want to live!"
— Nader Issa (@NaderDIssa) July 15, 2018
Witnesses say the female officer who fired the shots was immediately put in a squad car and taken away from the scene. By my count, there are between 80-100 officers at the scene right now. Probably as many or more protestors. pic.twitter.com/Q56GnfaJiW
— Nader Issa (@NaderDIssa) July 15, 2018
The situation just severely escalated when Chicago Police officers moved their line forward. Officers hit multiple protestors with batons, and protesters punched officers back. I haven't seen a police shooting scene this tense since Laquon McDonald. pic.twitter.com/LfEnMP0k85
— Nader Issa (@NaderDIssa) July 15, 2018
Here's more of the scuffle between Chicago Police officers and protestors at the scene where an officer shot and killed a man. pic.twitter.com/iwObeD4cvH
— Nader Issa (@NaderDIssa) July 15, 2018
"Snoop," the barber who was killed by Chicago Police tonight, has a 5-year-old daughter. One of his customers says he usually brings his daughter with him wherever he goes, but she wasn't with him today.
— Nader Issa (@NaderDIssa) July 15, 2018
I couldn't see what started this, but there was another huge escalation. People started running away as officers and protestors fought through the fence. People are throwing glass bottles at the police. At least three people pulled into a police car. pic.twitter.com/22lqpopJbs
— Nader Issa (@NaderDIssa) July 15, 2018
The situation has gotten as bad as its been a night. Police charged into the parking lot and started hitting people. Two officers smacked my phone out of my hand and shoved me to the ground. Don't know how many arrests, but at least a dozen from what I could see. pic.twitter.com/L7Q5xQyWSe
— Nader Issa (@NaderDIssa) July 15, 2018
I had my press badge held up in one hand and my phone in the other while I was saying "I'm a reporter." Two Chicago Police officers repeatedly pushed me, then smacked my phone out of my hand and threw me back. I lost my balance but can't remember if I hit the ground or not. pic.twitter.com/vhi4gjlNla
— Nader Issa (@NaderDIssa) July 15, 2018
Witnesses at the scene said the man who was killed by Chicago Police had a gun in a holster, but wasn't reaching for it and was running away. Others who knew him say he had a concealed carry permit. That's not verified, we'll try to find out more.
— Nader Issa (@NaderDIssa) July 15, 2018
Witnesses say the incident started when the officer told him not to sell loose cigarettes. He supposedly told the officer he wasn't selling them, just handing a couple to his aunt. An argument started, and he began to run. That's when the officer fired, per police and witnesses.
— Nader Issa (@NaderDIssa) July 15, 2018
The officer involved in the shooting will be placed on administrative duties for 30 days.
