A Riverdale man has been slapped with attempted murder charges after reportedly opening fire on Chicago police officers on the Far South Side this past Wednesday. As stated by the Chicago Sun-Times, the encounter with 25-year-old Antwan Dixon occurred in the early hours, around 2 a.m., when police responded to a call of shots fired in the 700 block of East 131st Street.
Dixon, now facing three counts of attempted first-degree murder, along with a count of unlawful use of a weapon, allegedly engaged in a gunfight with the officers before attempting to flee the location. Although he managed to evade initial capture, Dixon was not on the run for long and, was taken into custody shortly afterward. A weapon was retrieved at the scene of the confrontation, the authorities relayed.
The accused is expected to make his court appearance this Friday as the legal gears begin to turn in response to the violent altercation. Luckily, no injuries were reported in the incident from either side – a fact that offers some relief amidst the stark reality of urban violence wracking Chicago streets.
Meanwhile, CBS Chicago adds that the shootout incident occurred near the Altgeld Gardens public housing development. It remains unclear how many officers were involved in the shooting – but what's certain is that they will be assigned to administrative duties for 30 days, as is protocol, during the investigation into the use of force that night.
A detention hearing for Dixon is slated for Friday. The hearing will determine whether Dixon will be held in custody before trial. The fallout of this confrontation has provoked further scrutiny into the frequency, and ferocity, of such exchanges in a city grappling with the complexities of crime, policing, and community safety.
