8 charged after teen disturbance in Loop, Chicago police say; ald. renews calls for curfew changes

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Eight teens were charged after a disturbance in the Loop Wednesday night, Chicago police said.

Hundreds of teenagers packed sidewalks; they could be seen running around near State and Randolph streets.

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One person was taken away in a stretcher. Other teens were taken away in handcuffs, as Chicago police officers attempted to disperse the crowds.

Seven juveniles, a 13-year-old girl, 14-year-old girl, 15-year-old girl, 15-year-old boy, 16-year-old girl and two 16-year-old boys, were each charged with reckless conduct. One of the juveniles, the 15-year-old boy, also had an issuance of a warrant.

One juvenile, a 16-year-old boy, was charged with aggravated assault of peace officers, reckless conduct and a citation for riding a bicycle on the sidewalk.

There were 24 curfew violations issued.

Dr. Sandie Norman, a community organizer, was there and shared what she saw.

"I was there while children were being handcuffed. Some of the youth, the police could not cause them to calm down, and so there were children that were taken to, I believe it was the First District. I had children last night that didn't have bus fare to get home, where I have to put them in my car and take them. You know, I'm a parent. Where are the parents at?"

Norman said she saw fighting, as well.

"A lot of times when the fighting happens, it just causes, you know, the crowds, you know, to go crazy. And so you had a lot of youth out running around, just youth, you know, everywhere, youth running down blocks. I mean, it was a chaotic situation," she said.

Alderman Brian Hopkins, who chairs the city's Public Safety Committee, was also there.

He said at the height of the disturbance, there were an estimated 300 teens downtown.

Hopkins said there seemed to be more fights than other gatherings that have happened in the past.

"It seemed to me that there were more fights than you typically see in teen trends like this. Again, I think that's because this wasn't one cohesive group. It was smaller groups coming together. And you know, there's preexisting rivalries; there's arguments and taunting on social media," Hopkins said.

He said a curfew was enforced at 10 p.m., and shortly afterwards crowds began to disperse.

"When they started making curfew apprehensions, the teens began to leave and the events started to wind down," Alderman Hopkins said. "So once again it's definitive proof that curfews can work to prevent these activities from happening. There was no reports last night of shots fired. That's the best news in all of this. No one lost their life."

Hopkins has supported curfews to prevent large teen gatherings.

"We got calls from some of the businesses that were open during these events, 7-Eleven, Taco Bell, a few others, where the fights that were on the sidewalk spilled inside, and that's terrifying to the customers. It's terrifying to the employees who have nowhere to run," Hopkins said.

Last November, after the tree lightning ceremony, multiple teens were injured and 14-year-old Armani Floyd was shot and killed following a large teen gathering downtown.

This is the first time this year that Chicago police have had to deal with a mass gathering of teens downtown.

Hopkins renewed calls for the City Council to pass a revised curfew ordinance that would allow police to impose earlier curfews when situations arise prior to 10 p.m.

Mayor Brandon Johnson vetoed a previous version last summer and has been on record saying the current curfew works.

"It's an effective tool, and it works. He needs to get out of the way and let us pass it," Hopkins said.

One mayoral ally says the city needs to do more to give young people better options in their communities.

"These are literally kids that don't have the basic things that allow kids to simply have fun in the communities that they're from, and so what this is is a cry for help. This is a cry for young people to be heard," 6th Ward Alderman William Hall said.

The mayor's office said in a statement:

"Utilizing the existing curfew laws, CPD worked alongside CVI workers present on the scene and the Cook County Sheriff's Office to safely disperse a group of young people who had gathered downtown and restored order to the affected area.

"In coordination with CVI partners, the Chicago Police Department managed and mitigated a separate gathering on the South Side earlier in the evening, dispersing a crowd of more than 100 individuals using long-standing enforcement strategies and existing laws. Fortunately no one sustained significant injuries.

"We are confident that the City's public safety infrastructure and current laws equip CPD with the tools needed to effectively mitigate these incidents when they cannot be prevented in advance.

"The Mayor's remains in close coordination with local law enforcement and community partners ensure the safety of every neighborhood in our city.

"We encourage parents and guardians to keep track of their children and monitor their whereabouts and their social media accounts."