CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) is investigating an incident in which a police officer was seen pointing their gun at spectators during a street takeover.
It happened early on Monday at 59th Street and Pulaski Avenue. A video taken at the scene shows a white car doing donuts in the intersection.
The footage shows a Chicago Police Department (CPD) prisoner transport vehicle arriving at the scene. As the police vehicle pulls up, a female officer in the passenger seat can be seen pointing her gun out the window — toward the person who’s shooting the video.
A COPA spokesperson said the agency was notified of the incident by CPD’s Bureau of Internal Affairs. The police department is also conducting its own investigation.
The stunt-driving meetups, known as street takeovers, have been popping up in the city for years and can draw crowds of hundreds. Residents have raised alarms about the noise and property damage these gatherings can cause.
In July 2022, the City Council passed an ordinance aimed at addressing “street takeovers.” The ordinance, which empowered Chicago police to impound vehicles involved in these events, was a response to highly publicized meetups in the West Loop and other areas of the city, some of which led to clashes with officers and one that resulted in a deadly shootout in Brighton Park.
It is unclear whether the ordinance has deterred drivers, as one McKinley Park resident reported dozens of drifting events on her corner in the last year. That resident said she saw officers taking down license plate numbers, yet she continued to see the same vehicles and drivers return each weekend.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
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