Man kicked, beaten, hit with bottle at Loop CTA station: Chicago police

ByMaher Kawash WLS logo
Thursday, December 29, 2022
Man beaten, kicked, hit with bottle at Loop CTA station: CPD
Chicago police say charges are pending against three men accused of attacking a man Wednesday night on a downtown CTA platform near Monroe and State.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago police say charges are pending against three men accused of attacking a man Wednesday night on a downtown CTA platform near Monroe and State.

The victim is expected to be okay, but it's another example of why people are asking for more security on the CTA.

"It has been probably the worst that it's been since the early 90s," CTA rider Billy Tuggle said.

According to police, an altercation on the train led to the assault of a 26-year-old man on the CTA platform near Monroe and State.

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Police said three men attacked him and hit him with a bottle, sending the victim to the hospital where he was listed in fair condition. It's an issue Billy Tuggle said he's seen before while riding the CTA.

"A lot of not dealing with citizens with mental issues and a lot of street crime and it's not being addressed," Tuggle said.

The CTA has tried addressing crime concerns a number of ways throughout the year, specifically adding more security guards on platforms after a string of incidents last summer.

It's also become a pivotal part of the upcoming mayoral campaign, with candidates considering different ways to make the CTA safer.

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Riders are hoping that includes more officers at each station.

"I feel generally safe and I hope they step up security and everything on the CTA because everybody here needs to come on the CTA to get downtown," CTA rider Ina Beller said.

"I honestly feel safer when there's more people on the train," CTA rider Megan Alexander said.

The other concern is the timing of these crimes. Chicago police data shows the most common time for crime to happen is in the afternoon between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., with 39% of incidents happening then... and 33% percent of crimes happen after 5 p.m.

"It's the things that happen during the day that I'm worried about," Tuggle said. "It's the fact that I don't feel secure not riding in the first car where the operator is."

CTA said Thursday afternoon it is continuing to add resources for riders' safety, including full deployment of its K-9 crews as well and more than 300 officers spread across CTA platforms.