A 23-year-old man attacked and tried to disarm a Chicago police officer outside the Shakespeare (14th) District station in Logan Square on Saturday afternoon, prosecutors said. He then ran from the scene and later tried to disarm another officer who was holding him at gunpoint — all in a possible attempt to be killed by the police.
No shots were fired, and the man was taken into custody safely.
Judge Susana Ortiz called the incident “an extremely, extremely dangerous situation” after prosecutors detailed the allegations during a bond court hearing.
Antonio Ewings entered the station at 2150 North California around 4 p.m. and began “pacing and acting strange” before he stepped back outside, a prosecutor told Ortiz.
An officer who was heading toward the station’s parking lot saw Ewings outside and asked if he needed help. He said he wanted to file a police report, then suddenly lunged at the officer, knocking her to the ground, prosecutors said.
Ewings straddled the cop, pinned her to the ground, and repeatedly grabbed the grip of her pistol as she tried to fight him off with one hand and radioed for help with the other, according to prosecutors.
Ewings allegedly ran from the scene, but other units located him on a nearby side street a few minutes later.
There, he reportedly lunged at another fully-uniformed officer who was holding him at gunpoint. Ewings grabbed the cop’s firearm and shouted, “shoot me,” prosecutors said.
The officer didn’t. Instead, they backed away until other officers arrived to take Ewings into custody, according to prosecutors who charged Ewings with aggravated battery of a police officer and two counts of attempting to disarm a police officer.
Ewings’ public defender called the incident “an aberration from his normal behavior” and said he has no criminal background.
Judge Ortiz set Ewings’ bail at $30,000. He must post 10% of that amount to get out of jail.
Officers assigned to the 14th District serve neighborhoods like Bucktown, Wicker Park, Logan Square, and West Town.