Chicago police have released surveillance photos of a young suspect they say shoved a 69-year-old man down a stairway inside the Chicago/State Red Line station near the Magnificent Mile on Wednesday afternoon. The victim fell down the stairs and suffered minor injuries, according to police. The attacker ran out of the station before officers arrived.
Mass Transit detectives say the attack happened at about 1:50 p.m. on Wednesday inside the Chicago-State station at 800 North State Street, with the case assigned reference number JK-307232, as reported by CWB Chicago. Detectives released still images and described the suspect as a Black male between 16 and 18 years old, about 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-8 and 150 to 170 pounds. He was last seen wearing a green and black camouflage balaclava covering the lower half of his face, a black hoodie, black pants and gray gym shoes.
Red Line Stairwell Shove Adds To Worrying CTA Pattern
Shoving incidents and other assaults on CTA property have been a persistent safety worry for riders. A Chicago Sun-Times analysis found more than 60 such incidents on train platforms and stairs over the past five years, with riders pushed onto tracks or down staircases on average about once a month. Responding to those concerns, the Cook County Sheriff's Office and partner agencies have recently stepped up visible patrols across the transit system, an effort that NBC Chicago reported has led to hundreds of warnings and dozens of arrests.
How Riders Can Help Detectives Close the Case
Police are asking anyone who recognizes the person in the images, or who has information about the incident, to contact Major Crimes/Mass Transit detectives at 312-745-4447 or submit an anonymous tip through CPDTIP.com, referencing case number JK-307232, as reported by CWB Chicago. Detectives say the suspect came up behind the victim, grabbed his shoulder and then pushed him down the staircase.
