Cops aid in anti-violence initiatives
A day after an all-too-familiar night of widespread gun violence in the city — including the wounding of a Chicago Police officer — police and community leaders were out at the Back of the Yards’ Sherman Park Thursday, urging kids to avoid the dark lure of gangs and stay focused on school.
Dozens of kids took advantage of the free backpacks, pizza, sport drinks, as well as some on-court tips from the American Basketball Association’s Chicago Steam players and coaches.
“We’re out here today to reclaim the land that evil has taken away from us,” said State Rep. Esther Golar (D-Chicago).
An eruption of gunfire wounded at least 11 people throughout the city Wednesday night through early Thursday. A Chicago Police officer, in plain clothes, was wounded in a shootout with a 15-year-old boy around 8 p.m. Wednesday in the 1300 block of West 112th Place, police said. The incident began when officers stopped three teenage boys for “suspicious activity,” but the 15-yearold fired at the officers and “engaged in a gun battle,” Police Supt. Garry McCarthy told reporters late Wednesday. The injured officer — Nyls Meredith, a 35-year-old veteran who has been with the department for five years — was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn with non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said.
At Sherman Park, police were eager to highlight the good relationship with the community — despite the so-called “no-snitch code,” which has frustrated police efforts to solve
com/news/violence numerous shootings.
“The community has come forward very generously to help us out in many of the individual take-downs and programs we’ve run in the community,” said Ninth District Cmdr. David Jarmusz. “This is the Ninth District’s way of thanking them, getting them back to school safely ... and showing them we really appreciate the assistance they’ve given the Chicago Police Department.” Whole world is watching — even if we aren’t | Page 25
That assistance has included community members coming together to march through neighborhoods police have recently cleansed of drug dealers, letting the gang members know they’re not welcome to return.
The “stop the violence message” wasn’t lost on 10-year-old Masija Gunn, who was at Sherman Park with her mother, Felicia Young, Thursday evening.
Masija said she has no time for gangs, and thinks members need to be punished.
“You sit them down at a table, get out a book and you say, ‘If you don’t read this book or finish these questions, you’ll be punished,’” Masija said.
Masija said she’s never been tempted by the gang life.
“I wasn’t built for life in the gangs... . I wasn’t raised like that. I have a dream for myself to be a singer, and I’m still trying to work on that dream,” she said.