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The eve of Boystown’s Pridefest was marked by beatings galore. |
Thursday evening in to Friday morning had officers running from fight to fight to fight. If the past two nights are any indication of what lies ahead, this weekend and its hot, humid weather should create a real mess in Wrigleyville and Boystown.
Much of this may sound familiar.
Thursday 20 June 2013
10:07PM: Several calls came in from citizens near the MB Bank parking lot and the Marshall’s store on Halsted south of Belmont. Witnesses reported seeing a black man with no shirt threatening people with mace and a knife. Officers took an assault report, but the suspect has not been located.
10:08PM At the same time, a large group of people were reportedly fighting in the parking lot of the Belmont and Clark “Punkin’ Donuts.” The crowd dispersed.
Friday 21 June 2013
12:34AM: A “huge fight” with at least one participant armed with pepper spray broke out at the intersection of Halsted and Buckingham, on the Boystown strip. A male victim was hit in the back of the head and was “bleeding pretty good” when officers found him one block away at Halsted and Melrose. The victim was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center for treatment while police arrested the female offender for battery. Chicago Police Department case #HW328311
1:08AM: Residents of the condos at 3232 N. Halsted reported “20 kids loitering and making noise” outside of their building on Halsted Street. The call was assigned to an officer who dismissed the complaint by saying, “that’s gonna go on all night long.” When the officer eventually arrived at the scene nearly 30 minutes later, she closed out the call by noting that there was “nothing going on here other than the usual.”
1:49AM: A street fight between a group of females broke out at Halsted and Newport. Officers moved the crowd along and then hung out for a few minutes to make sure things chilled out.
3:54AM: A victim and a number of citizens reported that two females were threatening a customer as well as the employees at “Punkin’ Donuts,” on the corner of Clark and Belmont. Two minutes later, cops on their way to another call reported seeing a fight underway inside the restaurant. An ambulance transported a female victim to the nearby Illinois Masonic Medical Center and one arrest was made. Case #328400. As officers handled the incident, they were approached by a person who claimed to have been robbed nearby. An additional patrol car was called to handle the supposed robbery victim, but no report was filed.
4:18AM: A victim walked into the 19th district police station at 850 W. Addison to report being beaten up at the nearby Circle K/Shell gas station. The attacker was gone by the time officers got to the gas station. No report filed.
4:32AM: A man called 911 to report that a group of men would not let him enter the Red Line station from Belmont Avenue. The 911 call taker heard the offenders asking the victim who he was talking to on the phone, then the line went dead. The victim, fearing for his safety, fled the scene and returned once officers arrived.
UPDATED 28 JUNE 2013: Added case number for 3:54AM incident. Updated info regarding the supposed robbery victim at 3:54AM.
