Man threatened passengers with hatchet at Belmont Red Line station, prosecutors say

Gary O. Smith is charged with threatening CTA passengers with a hatchet. | CPD; File

Nearly a month after CTA passengers at the Belmont Red Line station were threatened by a man who wielded a hatchet, Chicago police have made an arrest in the case.

Gary O. Smith, 39, was arrested last Sunday as he stood in a bus shelter at Clark and Division, according to a police report. Patrol officers recognized him as the suspect who was wanted in connection with the hatchet incident.

Around 6:45 a.m. on October 10th, Smith displayed a hatchet on the Belmont platform and told a 35-year-old man, “Imma f*ck you up,” police said. A CTA worker also reported seeing Smith “menacing” the man as well as other CTA patrons, according to police. No one was injured.

Smith slipped away from the Belmont station before officers arrived, but investigators generated a police bulletin about the incident that included surveillance images taken by cameras at the Belmont stop.

Prosecutors charged Smith with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, reckless conduct, and probation violation. Judge Anthony Calabrese set his bail at $25,000.
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CWBChicago was created in 2013 by five residents of Wrigleyville and Boystown who had grown disheartened with inaccurate information that was being provided at local Community Policing (CAPS) meetings. Our coverage area has expanded since then to cover Lincoln Park, River North, The Loop, Uptown, and other North Side Areas. But our mission remains unchanged: To provide original public safety reporting with better context and greater detail than mainstream media outlets. Our editorial email address is news@cwbchicago.com