Teen Gang Mobs Continue to Attack Shoppers and Tourists on Chicago's Magnificent Mile

More than two dozen teens were arrested Saturday night after dozens of groups began randomly attacking pedestrians on Chicago's Magnificent Mile.

Police responded to reports of disturbances around 6:30 p.m. Saturday near Michigan and Chicago avenues. They said a number of teens took to the streets and started fighting.

Police said 28 teens were arrested during the incident and charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct and battery and later released, according to Police News Affairs. Eleven other teens were charged with misdemeanor charges after they allegedly attacked a group of women on the Chicago Transit Authority's Red Line, police said.

"You have over three to four hundred teenagers with mob action, jumping on individuals that are downtown," community activist Andrew Holmes said. "Multiple people have been arrested and I caution those parents that get this call about your child being arrested -- maybe you need to check your child."

Officers began breaking up the attacks by ushering teens to the Red Line. Chaos continued underground but many attackers reportedly left the area. "I just saw a cluster run down to the Red Line," CTA passenger Amanda Dobson said. "I didn't know what was going on. I just kind of stepped back and let the police do what they needed to do."

Police continued to patrol the area on bikes, horses and on foot as smaller groups wandered around the Loop.

It is not clear if the attacks are related to a similar mobbing of Ford City Mall last month.

Residents were concerned that this could be the first in a long line of attacks after warm weather brought on a string of similar instances last year. "It's been happening a lot around here," said Eric Baldinger, who works along the Mag Mile. "Just keep your wallet close and your purse closer."

Others said the attacks were disappointing and feared for the future of the city. "I think it’s very childish," resident Angelica Wilson said. "That’s what wrong with the generation today because there’s always petty fights going on down here and everybody getting hurt. We don’t need more problems."

Thanks to Alexandria Fisher.

Tweet

Illinois State Rifle Association Calls for Firing of @Chicao_Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy

The ISRA is once again calling upon Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to fire Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy.  This latest call for McCarthy's ouster comes after a mob of young thugs - estimated to be in the hundreds - swarmed the Magnificent Mile shopping district Saturday night and began beating dozens of innocent shoppers.  This latest mob action appears to be the most serious in a string of events over the past two years involving gangs of youths randomly attacking shoppers on North Michigan Avenue.

"Just like dyeing the Chicago River green on St. Patty's Day, cracking tourists' heads on North Michigan Avenue is becoming a Windy City tradition," commented ISRA Executive Director, Richard Pearson.  "The first warm night of the year, and all hell breaks loose in the city's most tony shopping district.  It should be clear to everybody by now that Supt. McCarthy has lost control of the city.  What are things going to be like when the weather really heats up?  What has to happen before Emanuel wakes up and gives the nod to a more effective top cop?"

"The ISRA has been cautioning folks against making Chicago a leisure time destination for a few years now," continued Pearson.  "Unless you're the kind of person who wants to be terrorized, beaten, raped or robbed, then you should definitely find another place to vacation.  For the law-abiding citizen, Chicago has become just too dangerous to visit."

"While vicious mobs have been busily destroying Chicago's tourism industry, Mayor Emanuel and Supt. McCarthy have been busy as well – vilifying law abiding firearm owners," said Pearson.  "If they spent more time thwarting crime and less time trying to take guns away from hunters and sportsmen, then Chicago might be a better place in which to live and work."

"The sad events of Saturday night will certainly bolster efforts to pass concealed carry legislation down in Springfield," said Pearson.  "Good people have a right to defend themselves against lawless thugs.  I'm positive that the prospect of encountering armed citizens would make such flash mobs vaporize in a hurry."

The ISRA is the state's leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearms ownership.  For more than a century, the ISRA has represented the interests of millions of law-abiding Illinois firearm owners.

Tweet

Nancy Mullane Discusses "Life After Murder: Five Men in Search of Redemption" on Crime Beat Radio

On April 4th, Nancy Mullane (www.lifeaftermurder.com/) discusses her fascinating book, Life after Murder: Five Men in Search of Redemption on Crime Beat Radio.

Crime Beat is a weekly hour-long radio program that airs every Thursday at 8 p.m. EST., on the Artist First World Radio Network at artistfirst.com/crimebeat.

Tweet

William Tapes, Suspect in FBI-Involved Shooting Incident Surrenders

A man wanted in connection with the March 25, 2013 incident that resulted in an FBI agent firing shots at a car surrendered to FBI special agents yesterday afternoon and has been charged in connection with the incident, announced Cory B. Nelson, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Gary S. Shapiro, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.

WILLIAM TAPES, age 52, whose last known address was 165 North Central Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, was the subject of a manhunt led by the Chicago FBI since the incident occurred on Monday. Tapes was charged in a criminal complaint filed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago with one count of assault on a federal officer, a felony offense.

According to the complaint, FBI special agents observed an individual later identified as Tapes kneeling near a vehicle’s tires and suspected that Tapes was stealing the center of the chrome wheels on that vehicle. Tapes was then seen getting into the driver’s seat of a sedan in which two other individuals were passengers. As agents approached the sedan to talk to the occupants, they identified themselves as “police” and “FBI.” The agents commanded Tapes to turn off the engine of the sedan and to get out of the car, but Tapes put the car in reverse and abruptly backed up. The agents continued to direct Tapes and the passengers in the sedan to get out of the car, but none complied with the commands. After several seconds, the sedan, which was being driven by Tapes, lurched forward, stopped briefly, and then maneuvered around an FBI vehicle which had been parked approximately 10 to 20 feet in front of the sedan. As Tapes maneuvered around the FBI vehicle, he allegedly headed directly toward one of the agents. That agent jumped out of the way to avoid being run over and fired his handgun into the sedan.

The complaint alleges that the sedan then left the parking lot at a high speed and was next seen by the agents after it had been involved in an accident. According to the complaint, the agents saw one of the passengers of the sedan at the scene of the accident, but neither Tapes nor the other passenger remained at the scene. A witness reported that the driver of the sedan crawled out of the driver’s side window and left the scene of the accident on foot.

According to investigators, friends and family of Tapes reached out to the FBI’s Chicago office on Wednesday in an effort to arrange for his surrender, which occurred Thursday afternoon at the Chicago Field Office. Tapes appeared this morning in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cole, who ordered him held without bond pending his next scheduled court appearance, which is set for Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 10:00 a.m.

Investigation of the incident and the search for Tapes was aided by the Chicago Police Department.

If convicted of the charge filed against him, Tapes faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt, and that all defendants in a criminal case are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Tweet

Joe Serio Discusses the #Russian #Mafia on Crime Beat Radio

March 28th, Joseph D. Serio’s (www.joeserio.com) discusses his investigation into the Russian Mafia on Crime Beat Radio.

Crime Beat is a weekly hour-long radio program that airs every Thursday at 8 p.m. EST., on the Artist First World Radio Network at artistfirst.com/crimebeat.

Tweet