Early Saturday on Chicago's South Side, a chaotic moment at a large street gathering in Fuller Park ended with a man shot in the leg after his gun went off during a struggle with police, according to authorities.
Officers from the Chicago Police Department said they were working a 9th District tactical team detail around 12:32 a.m. when they moved in on a crowd along South Princeton Avenue near West 53rd Street. As police repeatedly ordered the gathering to break up, they conducted an investigatory stop on a man they suspected of having a gun.
What started as an investigatory stop quickly turned physical. During a brief struggle between the man and officers, police said, the man's own firearm discharged. He was hit in the left thigh and taken to a nearby hospital, where he was listed in good condition.
Police said a firearm was recovered at the scene. Officers did not fire their weapons and no officers were injured, according to authorities. The Chicago Police Department's Investigative Response Team is handling the case, officials told NBC Chicago.
Neighborhood Context
The incident unfolded in Fuller Park, a small South Side neighborhood that sees more than its share of police lights. Local coverage of recent arrests and community alerts has highlighted how robberies and other incidents keep officers circling the area, particularly when crowds gather late at night.
Citywide Pattern
The shooting did not happen in a vacuum. Chicago has been wrestling this spring with waves of large late-night gatherings and so-called "teen takeover" events that sometimes spin into fights or worse. Officials have responded with heavier patrols and firm dispersal orders in parks and along the lakefront.
Over Memorial Day weekend alone, local outlets reported dozens of arrests and several violent incidents tied to those crowds as police and community groups tried to keep a lid on things, per ABC7 Chicago.
The Investigative Response Team said its probe into the Fuller Park shooting is ongoing. Police have not said whether the wounded man will face charges, and authorities offered no further comment beyond their initial statement to NBC Chicago.
