O'Shea Wants Ordinance To Seize Looters' and Agitators' Cars

CHICAGO — Ald. Matt O’Shea (19th) says he will organize volunteers to attend court hearings for a 25-year-old man accused of beating a police officer with a skateboard during another weekend of unrest in downtown Chicago. Seventeen Chicago police officers were injured on Saturday in violent clashes with protesters in a demonstration against police brutality.

Police made 24 arrests, including four people who were charged with felonies. Jeremy Johnson, who resides in Lakeview, was charged with felony aggravated battery against a police officer. Police said Johnson beat a helmeted officer’s head with a skateboard. Johnson was released on $20,000 bail and electronic monitoring during a hearing at Central Bond Court. He is also barred from having a skateboard before his trial, the Chicago Tribune reported.

“I’ll be following Mr. Johnson’s trial and organizing volunteers to attend court dates to support the injured officer,” O’Shea said in an email to constituents.

O’Shea also said that he planned to introduce a new ordinance at the next Chicago City Council meeting to seize vehicles used in looting and vandalism. The 19th Ward is home to many city workers, particularly police and fire employees.

“In the face of unprecedented violence and criminal behavior, police officers must have the tools necessary to protect themselves and the citizens they serve,” O’Shea continued. “Empowering the Chicago Police Department to seize and impound vehicles involved in looting establishes a new consequence for criminal behavior and makes our city safer.”

Over the weekend, elected officials issued a signed statement of solidarity with protesters, who’ve alleged that CPD officers “kettled, pepper sprayed, and beat demonstrators — some of them as young as 17.”