CHICAGO — Fireworks were thrown at Chicago police SUVs in at least three separate incidents over the Fourth of July weekend, injuring four officers as they responded to calls of service, police said.
Two of the incidents, which happened early Sunday and early Monday in Portage Park and Downtown, were captured on video and widely shared on social media. In each of the videos, it appears fireworks or other smoking objects were thrown at squad cars, damaging the vehicles and breaking the windshields.
At about 2:30 a.m. Sunday, a police officer was driving a squad car in the 4000 block of North Milwaukee Avenue in Portage Park when a firework hit his windshield, causing it to shatter, police said.
Video of the incident shows cars apparently drag racing at an intersection. Separate videos then show people approaching a police SUV, climbing on the windshield, opening the driver’s side doors and kicking the car. Smoke can be seen emanating from the street near the squad car as it backs up on the street.
The officer called for more patrol units and relocated, police said. The officer was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital and released Sunday. No one is in custody and the incident is still under investigation, police said.
At about 3 a.m. Sunday, police responded to a call for service in the 4300 block of South Pulaski Avenue in Archer Heights on the Southwest Side. Video of the incident shows cars apparently drag racing at an Archer Heights shopping mall, at times doing donuts around a ring of fire as a person hangs from the window. A squad car there was met by a crowd blocking the roadway.
Someone in the crowd threw a firework that shattered the car’s windshield, police said.
An officer suffered cuts on her head, neck and body and was treated at a hospital and released Sunday, police said.
A second squad car was also damaged by fireworks thrown at the windshield, police said.
No one is in custody and the Archer Heights attack also remains under investigation.
At about 3:30 a.m. Monday, officers responded to a call for service in the 200 block of North Columbus Drive Downtown, police said. Multiple videos from the scene show the police squad SUV was met by a crowd and some people kicked the squad as it slowly backed up. Fireworks were thrown at the car, shattering its windshield and damaging its hood and headlights, video shows.
Two officers were injured in the incident, police said.
Three 19-year-old men from suburban Calumet City — Jiovanni Araujo, Yair Cruz-Roman and Guillermo Mota Jr. — were charged with felony aggravated assault of a police officer after the Downtown attack, police said.
A police spokesman did not provide further comment on the incidents. The sale, possession and use of fireworks is illegal in Chicago.
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