100 arrested after mass looting in Chicago

100 arrested after mass looting in Chicago

[NFA] Chicago police arrested more than 100 people after crowds swarmed Chicago's luxury commercial district early Monday, looting stores, smashing windows and clashing with officers for hours, police said.

Colette Luke has the latest.

Chicagoans boarded up broken windows and swept up shattered glass after hundreds of people looted stores and clashed with police in and around Chicago's luxury commercial district overnight Sunday into Monday.

Police said the conflagration was sparked by a police shooting in another neighborhood.

More than 100 people were arrested and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot sought to distance the looting from anti-racism protests over the death of unarmed black man George Floyd.

“This was not legitimate First Amendment protected speech... This was straight up felony criminal conduct... and to those who engaged in this criminal behavior, let's be clear, we are coming for you.” Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said at least 13 officers were injured, and a security guard and a civilian were struck by gunfire.

“This was an act of violence against our police officers and against our city... In one incident last night, officers were arresting a looting suspect at Michigan Avenue and Lake Street.

This person was carrying a cash register he had looted out of a store.

As the officers were making the arrest, another vehicle passed by the officers and fired shots at the officers as their vehicle turned the corner, resulting in an exchange of gunfire between our officers and these suspects.” Brown said police became aware of several social media posts encouraging looting downtown after tensions flared in another part of the city following the police shooting of a man with a gun.

Police questioned a 20-year-old suspect Sunday afternoon, the man fled and fired at the officers.

Police returned fire and shot the man, who was hospitalized and expected to survive.

Lightfoot: “I do not care whatever justification was given for this.

There is no justification for criminal behavior ever.

You have no right, no right to take and destroy the property of others." Brown pledged a police crackdown in central Chicago, assigning officers to 12-hour shifts and canceling days off.