This morning around 1:26AM, officers from District E-18 (Hyde Park) responded to a radio call from an off-duty officer to investigate two individuals who were walking through the park, with one possibly armed with a firearm.
Officers responded to the area and proceeded down East Glenwood Ave. where within a short time, two individuals matching the suspects’ description were observed in the park. Officers exited their cruiser upon seeing the suspects and as soon as they did, the suspects took off running in separate directions. Officers pursued the suspects and as they did so, observed one of the two suspects make a throwing motion as he continued to run. Both suspects were eventually caught and placed under arrest and as officers walked one of them to the wagon, a black firearm was observed on the ground in the area where the suspect had been observed making the throwing motion. The suspect immediately yelled, “It’s not real! It’s just a BB gun!”
Officers then spoke to the off duty officer who had initially observed the two suspects. The off-duty officer reported that he observed the suspects pointing the BB gun at three victims. A 16 year-old male suspect from Hyde Park was arrested and charged with Possession of a BB Gun, Assault by Means of a Dangerous Weapon, Disturbing the Peace, and Trespassing. The second suspect, Jamal Haywood, 17 of Hyde Park was arrested and charged with Trespassing.