Chicago police had to call in the fire department to help them arrest a 17-year-old who hid on a River North billboard as cops followed behind him on the Brown Line tracks last week.
Police were investigating calls of a person with a gun when, according to witnesses, the teen jumped from the back door of a Brown Line train and started running down the tracks above Franklin Street around 6 p.m. last Tuesday.
Video from a nearby high-rise shows the teen tripping and apparently making contact with the third rail, but the CTA had already turned off the power at CPD’s request. Watch:
He made his way onto a billboard catwalk perched above Ontario Street. And then, he waited.
The video shows cops moving in. Most of them chose to stay on the tracks, but a couple took a deep breath and scurried across a metal beam to reach the billboard. A CFD ladder truck arrived minutes later to bring them all down.
Cops found a handgun on the tracks, but the teen is not accused of putting it there. Instead, he was charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct and held on an outstanding warrant, according to police.
Here they are sweeping for the ditched weapons. They did ask if everyone was okay or if anyone needed help pic.twitter.com/EEeHXXW69c
— Cliff DeMartino (@Keystone80435) July 27, 2022