Teen Driver Injures 5 Chicago Officers

Chicago police said five officers were struck by a car early Sunday while trying to disperse a large gathering on the city’s Near West Side. The crash happened about 3:20 a.m. near Roosevelt Road and Loomis Street, according to the department. Police said an 18-year-old man driving a blue sedan westbound in an eastbound lane hit the officers, then mounted a curb and crashed into a patrol vehicle, a utility pole and a fence. All five officers were taken to area hospitals and were listed in fair condition, police said, while the driver was arrested and not injured. ### Where did the crash happen, and what were officers doing there? The 1200 block of South Loomis Street, near Roosevelt Road and the ABLA Brooks Homes, was the scene of the crash, according to Chicago police and CBS Chicago. Officers were on foot responding to a large gathering when the vehicle entered the area and struck them, police said. (nbcnews.com) NBC Chicago reported dozens of officers had been sent to Roosevelt and Loomis shortly before 4 a.m. because of the gathering. Video described by the station showed hundreds of teens and young adults in the street in the University Village and Little Italy area. ### How did police say the driver hit the officers? Chicago police said the blue sedan was traveling westbound in the eastbound lane when it struck the officers. (nbcchicago.com) After the impact, the car went over the curb and hit a Chicago police squad car, a pole and a fence before stopping, according to police accounts carried by NBC News, NBC Chicago and ABC7 Chicago. ABC7 Chicago reported the crash happened as officers were dispersing the crowd. (nbcchicago.com) NBC News said the department described its account as preliminary and did not immediately provide additional details about what led up to the collision. ### What do authorities say about the driver and the vehicle? An 18-year-old man was taken into custody at the scene, Chicago police said. (nbcnews.com) NBC News and NBC Chicago reported that the driver was not injured. Police also said a weapon was recovered from the vehicle. As of the initial public statements carried by local and national outlets, the department had not announced charges or publicly identified the driver. (abc7chicago.com) ### How badly were the officers hurt? Five officers were taken to area hospitals and all were listed in fair condition, according to Chicago police. Fox 32 Chicago, NBC News and CBS Chicago each reported that no other injuries were immediately reported by police. (nbcnews.com) CBS Chicago said the officers had been hit as a group while working the crowd scene on the Near West Side. (nbcnews.com) The department did not release the officers’ names in the initial reports. ### Was this connected to the broader concern over teen gatherings? NBC Chicago said the incident happened during a large teen gathering that drew a heavy police response. The station reported that large-scale teen gatherings had been a focus at City Hall heading into Memorial Day weekend. (fox32chicago.com) Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said on Thursday, before the crash, that the department’s goal was to be “proactive versus reactive” in handling such gatherings, according to NBC Chicago. (cbsnews.com) The station also reported that its crews heard several gunshots in the area shortly before 4 a.m., though police statements cited in the initial coverage did not link the gunfire to the crash. (nbcchicago.com) ### What happens next in the case? Charges against the 18-year-old driver were pending in the initial hours after the crash, according to Chicago police statements reported by Fox 32 Chicago and NBC News. The department said investigators had recovered a weapon from the car and were continuing to investigate the circumstances of the collision. No. 12 Roosevelt CTA buses were rerouted Sunday morning because of the active police investigation, NBC Chicago reported. (nbcchicago.com) Further updates were expected from the Chicago Police Department as charging decisions and additional case details were finalized. (fox32chicago.com)