A police shooting in a Chicago neighborhood Saturday fueled tension between residents and officers, eventually leading to violent clashes.
According to ABC7, four officers on foot saw a man who appeared to be “exhibiting characteristics of an armed person” and went to question him. Chicago Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said that a confrontation followed and the man was shot. He was later pronounced dead.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that people outside the crime scene after the shooting claimed a female officer shot the man at least five times in the back as he ran away, and that the officer was taken away from the scene in a police vehicle afterward as the crowd formed.
As crowds gathered around the crime scene, they grew more restless and frustrated. They could be heard chanting “murderers” and “no justice, no peace”, while also throwing rocks and bottles at the police. Several officers were hurt and four demonstrators were arrested.
It took hours for the police to clear the scene.
In a statement, the city’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability said it’s committed to a thorough and objective investigation of the shooting, according to CNN.
The officers involved will be placed on routine administrative duties for 30 days, authorities said.