Shooting Suspects Nabbed During Rowdy Funeral Procession: Police
HILLSIDE (CBS) -- Charges are pending against four people arrested Tuesday afternoon during a funeral procession from Chicago to a cemetery in west suburban Hillside.
Forest Park police alerted authorities in Hillside about the rowdy procession as the group headed toward Oakridge Cemetery, 4301 Roosevelt Road, according to Hillside Police Chief Joseph Lukaszek.
The procession was "total chaos," Lukaszek said. Passengers were hanging out of the vehicles' windows and driving in and out of traffic as they headed toward the cemetery.
One of the vehicles in the procession was identified as having been involved in multiple shootings earlier Tuesday in Chicago, including one in front of a church, Lukaszek said.
Police stopped the vehicle "with force" at Mannheim and Harrison roads in Hillside after a passenger inside showed a weapon.
Lukaszek said he used his SUV to ram the vehicle in order to end a short pursuit. A foot chase followed, and three men and a woman — all in their 20s — were taken into custody and are awaiting charges.
Inside the vehicle, investigators found three handguns with high-capacity magazines and high-impact ammunition, Lukaszek said in a statement. Between the four taken into custody, they had been arrested more than 160 times.
Lukaszek said the shootings and general mayhem displayed during the funeral procession were believed to be gang related. Problems with funeral processions from Chicago occur on a "nearly weekly" basis in the suburbs, he said.
Chicago Police usually notify local authorities when such a procession is headed their way, Lukaszek said.
"Typically, [Chicago Police] do a good job keeping us in the loop," Lukaszek said.
No injuries were reported.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire copy; Chicago Sun-Times 2017. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
