Chicago Police

Chicago's Top Cop Says ‘It's More Than a Suggestion' That Police Are Being Targeted

According to Supt. David Brown, 41 officers were shot at so far this year and another 10 have been shot

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Chicago's police superintendent suggested Monday that officers in the city are being targeted by violent criminals as the number of officers being shot at or shot skyrockets.

According to Supt. David Brown, 41 officers were shot at so far this year and another 10 have been shot.

"I think it's more than a suggestion," Brown said. "Fifty-one officers being shot at or shot in one year? I think that quadruples any previous year in Chicago's history."

But it's not just officers, Brown said, noting that violent criminals have so far this year "acted with impunity much more than we've seen in the past."

"Whether they're associated with a gang or not we've seen increasing violence throughout," Brown said. "Shooting babies and kids with impunity with no regard for innocent bystanders. So I wouldn't say that it's associated with a specific, whether it's a gang or culture, I think overall there's this sense of lawlessness."

Brown said officers are facing several battles as they work to fight gun violence in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and calls for racial justice that have sparked protests across the city.

"We just can't let our guard down for a moment," he said. "Our strategy is to be prepared for 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

Over the last weekend, more than 50 people were shot in the city, 10 of them fatally. Two Chicago officers were among the wounded.

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