Allegations Of Cover-Up Surround Taste Of Chicago Violence

News reports characterizing the Taste of Chicago and Friday night's Independence Day fireworks show in Grant Park as "peaceful" have led some bloggers who witnessed more violence than was reported to challenge the official version of events.

In its account of fireworks-related violence, the Sun-Times described the night of July 3 as "peaceful," quoting police as saying that the arrest of a man with a loaded shotgun was the only serious incident:

This year's Taste of Chicago July 3 fireworks spectacular transpired relatively peacefully, viewed by 1.25 million people and unmarred by the shootings that took place last year.

As the huge crowd made its way home, police said the only serious incident was a man arrested outside the grounds who had been spotted with a shotgun sticking out of his backpack.

The Tribune reported more violence, including a 30-person fight that police broke up quickly.

Some incidents were seen or reported. About 9:40 p.m., some 30 police officers had to break up a melee at Congress Parkway and Michigan Avenue as large crowds dispersed west out of Grant Park.

What started out as an altercation with a small group of people involved -- shoving, pushing, yelling -- within seconds became a larger fight with 10-20 people involved, according to a witness. Police quickly handled the disturbance.

Yet these reports, or at least the official police line included in them, don't jibe with what many bloggers say they saw with their own eyes.

At Chicagosphere, blogger Mike Doyle contends that far more violence took place than the city acknowledged and the media reported.

Among the examples Doyle Cites are the numerous reports of fights on the anonymous Chicago police blog, Second City Cop. Those include a shooting that allegedly took place near Buckingham Fountain the night of July 3, which an anonymous commenter claims was confirmed by 911 dispatchers.

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A YouTube video posted on Second City Cop shows a brawl that went unmentioned in the city's official statements.

In the Tribune, Police spokesman Roderick Drew made reference to "some sort of disturbance" near Buckingham Fountain but did not elaborate. Drew told the Huffington Post that he had not seen the video but denied that there were any shootings at the Taste.

"There were no shootings at Taste," Drew said Monday afternoon. "There were 80 arrests in 10 days, and 31 on the night of July 3. A handful were felony arrests but the majority were misdemeanors. All in all it was without a doubt a successful event."

Blogger Craig Kanalley reported seeing police beating people up after breaking up the fight at Congress and Michigan.

Drew said he was unaware of any incidents of police brutality. Asked whether he would consider the night of July 3 peaceful, Drew responded, "I don't want to underestimate or dismiss any incidents that occurred. Things happen, tempers flare, people are intoxicated. What incidents there were the officers dealt with as swiftly as possible. But it was by and large a peaceful event."

Comments

[ejhickey]

Good story. It is interesting that the Tribune mentions none of this . Any commentators that mention these incidents on the Trib's website, are derided by what may be Daley administration blog minders. Glad to see there is still some alternative sources of news

[Mahi Joe]

We want to expose this to the world by hosting the Olympics here in Chicago?

[nemain]

hopefully.­..whatever stops the olympics from coming to this town. whatever works.

[hankandted]

This needs some perspective. There were 1.25 million people at the Taste---lots of people, more than many counties or cities. or states, even, all in one place.

It is the day in and day out violence that needs more attention.

[Mike Doyle - Huffpost Blogger]

I want to let commenters know I've posted a follow-up to my original story detailing the things that have happened since Monday--including the executive director of the Mayor's Office of Special Events, Megan McDonald, leaving an eyewitness account of her experience at Buckingham Fountain in my original comment thread, my ongoing activities to continue to investigate the story, and my rebuttal to a closed-minded response I got from a local print reporter.

If you're so inclined, you can find the follow-up post here:

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicagosphere/2009/07/following-up-on-chicagos-independence-eve-violence.html

[MasterfullyInept]

How about ending the "War on Drugs" that feed so much money to the gangs?Thats how you get guns out of their hands.Deny them income.

[MasterfullyInept]

Maybe put some money and effort into educating people?

[Michvela]

I am sorry but as I minority, I am disgusted by our own people, you don't want anyone to criticize us but yet you go and act like complete uneducated people with no manners what so ever. This is the reason we never progress quit using the "everyone puts us down" excuse and change for once. Give me one good reason to behave like this in public and one good reason to take a gun to the taste. Take a look in mirror for once and admit your mistake and stop blaming everyone else. I am sure no one told you to go and act like this. If they did, please let me know where it was posted, cause I missed the memo.

[CherrySpring]

I understand where you're coming from, to a degree, but this was a fight that involved whites too. Did you not see that? Are those white guys somehow less brutish than the other guys? I just saw a video containing senseless violence with m0r0ns who were likely drunk and needed prove their "manhood". Your one-sided speech leaves much to be desired.

[nemain]

"Your one-sided speech leaves much to be desired."

A lot more than you think feel ike Michvela. So it is desired and that is the correct way of looking at any situation of any given race.

[BrwnSknGurl4]

Michvela -- That is why I stopped going to the Taste years ago, and have never attended since having children. I certainly do not want to expose them to the terrible behavior, provocative clothing and other unsavory qualities of many of the young people who attend. I almost wish they would enforce a dress code to prevent the thugs and hoodlums from attending: people w/ visible tattoos, pants below their waists, tank tops and low cut tops and thong-showing pants ARE NOT ADMITTED!

It is despicable and it does make me embarrassed to be "brown-skinned."

[MrVinegar]

Cleavage and tattoos = hoodlum. hahahaha (I'm laughing at you, not with you)
you just keep going on being ashamed of your body

[DawnK]

I'm sure they are keeping it quiet for the Olympic bid. I'm fearful that we will get the Olympics and tourists from other countries and other cities are going to get shot by gang bangers or beat up by cops. I keep saying we need treat gang bangers as terrorists. This might help if they were tried under Dept. of Homeland Security laws and sent to Gitmo. We have no problem doing this to foriegn terrorists and lets face it, the gangs in this city ARE terrorists. People are afraid to let their kids out to play, to walk to the store or from a bus stop, to open a business, to even just sit in their living room.

[Chitownfool]

I saw some fights but the police broke them up real quickly, it was nothing like last year where you saw fights every couple of feet. There was a lot more police out this year I guess you guys werent around to compare the two

[ebroadcast]

l-o-s-e-r-s

[redraspberry]

Maybe they should outlaw guns?

[Tim Taliaferro - Huffpost Blogger]

That's funny.

[beanpop]

Can they do that?

[joewalters]

They already do. Firearms and weapons are not allowed into the Taste. Those that make it in do so by somehow avoiding getting caught at the entrance areas.

[phillyphil1963]

I concur about the violence.

We stayed at the Palmer House for the weekend and went to a CVS pharmacy across the street at around 9:15PM on July 3rd. The CVS manager was locking the doors because the police told her to shut down in order to get the folks off the street. The manager was told there was a shooting and people were moving quickly away from the Taste area .

Reading this post is the most details I've gotten about the situation.

[menlopian]

The murder and violent crime rate in Chicago is off of the charts. This past weekend there were literally dozens of people shot within a 24 hour span. Every weekend it seems there are a half dozen people murdered. Law enforcement is not doing its job. It's a good thing we have that handgun ban...

[cdchgo]

While I don't doubt the suspicion of a cover up or the violence that occurs, you must keep in mind that these are rather isolated problems. 2-4 million people come to the taste every year. if 20-100 people are causing problems, then I'd say it's a success as far as crowd control is concerned. I know public safety is a concern, but one must view these problems holistically in an otherwise safe, fun, and family event.

[chgotchr]

It seems, just reading the responses that the large gangs are using the Taste as a staging point for fighting. The taste has become more turf for the gangs. Chicago politicians barely want to admit that there is a gang problem here in Chicago, so why would they admit that gangs are using he Taste as a battleground?

[driddy]

Until Chicago can address the city wide violence esp. in parts of the city not being gentrified etc. Daley really needs to abandon this Olympic bid thing. This city has made, and is making great strides to become a "World class city", but clearly has a long way to go. I mean we need at least 4 or 5 more subway lines seriously to properly serve all areas of Chicago. Take a cursory glance at a subway map of London, Paris, Barcelona to see what I mean. I love this city to death, but come on Daley little things like this are truly embarrassing, and don't lend to Chicago's aspirations to become a world class city. I guess "Machine" politics still do exist in this city.

[BushBites]

Agree.

Buying more buses is not a serious mass transit solution.

Yet, that's all Daley does.