The family of Anthony Alvarez, a man who was shot and killed by Chicago police earlier this year, says their memorial site was unexpectedly removed this week.
As they arrived for an interview with Telemundo Chicago, the family learned the street sign that they had adorned with flowers and tributes to the 22-year-old had been cleared.
"Why do they do that?" Alvarez's father told Telemundo Chicago. "We are not bothering them."
The family said they had a previous interaction with police at the site of the memorial, where they were told it needed to be cleared.
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In video published on social media and shared with Telemundo Chicago, an officer can be heard telling the family that the sign is city property and needed to be cleared after the family was "done with their memorial."
The next day, the items they put up were gone.
"CPD strives to treat all individuals our officers encounter with respect," the department said in a statement. "Anyone who feels they have been mistreated by a CPD officer is encouraged to call 311 and file a complaint with COPA, who will investigate allegations of misconduct."
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Still, Chicago police told Telemundo Chicago they did not remove the memorial and were unsure of who did.
"This is not a vigil that's causing impediment to traffic," said Tania Dimitrova, an attorney for the Alvarez family. "It's not in the roadway. This is just a place for family to mourn."
Alvarez was fatally shot in the early morning hours of March 31 during a foot pursuit in the 3500 block of North Laramie Avenue, according to Chicago police.
Footage from the body camera worn by the officer who fired the fatal shots, released last month, shows the officer chase Alvarez and then fire what sounds like five shots. Video shows Alvarez appears to have a gun in his right hand just before the officer opened fire.
