Five Chicago Police Officers Injured by Vehicle During Crowd Dispersal at Loomis Street and Roosevelt Road

In a troubling incident in Chicago, five police officers found themselves in harm’s way when they were hit by a car while attempting to disperse a crowd early Sunday morning. This occurred during what officials described as an unruly “teen takeover” event.

The precise connection between the driver and the teen gathering remains uncertain at this time. Alderman Jason Ervin clarified that this was not a typical “teen takeover” seen in other parts of the city. Instead, it was an after-prom celebration that spiraled out of control. In contrast, Alderman Jim Gardiner categorized the situation as a “teen takeover” that the police were actively addressing.

The unfortunate events unfolded around 3:20 a.m. in the 1200 block of South Loomis Street, according to reports from the Chicago police. The chaos erupted near the Brooks Homes area, close to Roosevelt and Loomis on the Near West Side.

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During the incident, an 18-year-old driver, navigating a blue vehicle traveling westbound in an eastbound lane, struck the officers as they were managing crowd control. The impact left three officers hospitalized by Sunday afternoon, highlighting the severity of the situation.

Videos captured by cell phones reveal the immediate aftermath, underscoring the chaotic nature of the disorderly gathering. As the investigation unfolds, authorities continue to piece together the events leading up to the officers being struck, seeking to determine the driver’s involvement with the gathering.

CPD officers were on foot dispersing a large gathering when they were struck by a driver in a blue car heading westbound in the eastbound lane, police said.

“Normally we do not have problems in the Brooks Homes for Memorial Day, and so this caught a lot of people off-guard, what transpired last night,” Ald. Ervin said. “Hopefully the officers recover fully and be able to get back to work.”

Cell phone video showed the sea of flashing lights in a massive police presence that built in the aftermath of the officers getting struck. Police said the injured officers, five in all, were on foot dispersing the teens when a blue sedan traveling westbound in an eastbound lane struck them, drove over the curb, finally coming to a stop after striking a CPD squad, a pole and a fence.

Nearby resident Marcellous Johnson took a picture of the offender’s vehicle.

“He wasn’t going super fast, but he was going fast enough that when he hit them, he basically knocked them off their car and they rolled over to the ground and some other stuff,” Johnson said.

Johnson, who lives right at the corner, said the gathering started to build right after midnight, growing with each passing hour. Video posted to the Citizen app showed the crowd.

“I walked downstairs and I’m looking on the next block. And it’s literally hundreds of teenagers, ranging from like 14 to maybe 19-20. And they’re all here just hanging,” Johnson said. “The police are steadily coming. They were lining up the cars all right here and they just kept coming. They kept coming. More teens were showing up and more police were showing up. “

Mayor Brandon Johnson spoke out Sunday.

“The accountability mechanism cannot just be with teenager,” Mayor Johnson said. “I know where my son was at 3 a.m. after he went to prom and came home, and we need parents to ensure our children are coming home.”

The 18-year-old man driving the car was not injured and was taken into custody, officials said. CPD said they found a gun in the car.

All five officers were initially taken to local hospitals and were expected to be okay.

Charges are pending.

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