OUT OF CONTROL

Deadly Police Shooting Ignites Violent Protests in Chicago

Police said officers spotted a man “who they thought might be armed” and the ensuing confrontation led to his death.

Violent protests erupted on Chicago’s South Side late Saturday after police officers fatally shot a man who they thought to be armed. The Chicago Police Department said officers spotted a man “who they thought might be armed” while out on patrol, and he was shot when he allegedly reached for a weapon as they approached him. The man did not fire at the officers, but police say a weapon was recovered at the scene. Hours after the man was pronounced dead, a relatively peaceful protest spiraled out of control, when protesters began chanting “murderers” at police officers and some hurled bottles filled with urine, according to the Chicago Tribune. Four officers were reportedly injured and four demonstrators were arrested. Chief Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi blamed “inaccurate information” for sparking the protests. “There was some inaccurate information that the individual was unarmed. We have cops out there, community affairs officers, trying to give them as much information as we can ... This is a tragic situation where an individual lost his life,” he said.