Chicago Police Seized 'One Illegal Handgun Per Hour Of This Year'
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Three police-involved shootings happened in less than 30 hours this week.
Chicago's top cop told CBS 2's Mai Martinez the incidents highlight how bad the illegal gun problem is in Chicago.
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson expressed his frustration over the illegal gun problem in Chicago where he says officers are seizing, on average, one illegal handgun per hour of this year.
"There is just a prolific number of guns out here on the streets and some individuals just don't want to play by the rules of society," Johnson stated.
He said that is what led to three police-involved shootings in less than 30 hours.
The first incident happened Monday around 9:30 p.m. at 79th and Yates. The 17-year-old male offender was shot by an officer. The officer says the teen pointed a gun at him.
The second incident happened around 8 p.m. Tuesday in the 4700 block of West Fulton, where officers shot and killed the armed man.
The third incident happened around 2:40 a.m. Wednesday in the 900 block of North Massasoit, where officers say they were confronted by an armed man. No one was injured in the shooting, but the 21-year-old suspect was arrested.
Chicago Police say weapons were recovered in all three shootings and a CPD spokesperson tweeted pictures of the three guns.
"It highlights how brazen some of these individuals are and they're willing to confront police," said Johnson. "There's a lot of reasons for that but I tell you this: we can never understate the national narrative, the anti-police narrative. That's out there and I think some of these individuals think that, that is going to justify their actions and it just doesn't."
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson says Chicago Police recover more guns than officers in New York City and L.A. combined.
