22-Mar-18 – Victims of assault in downtown Chicago during St. Patrick’s Day celebrations included visitors from Minnesota, a man at Union Station, and a police car.

Seven people were arrested downtown on March 17, according to CWB Chicago, including a man from the Albany Park neighborhood who, police say, attacked and shouted racial slurs at a man and woman visiting from a suburb of Minneapolis.

The two were near the corner of Michigan Avenue & Randolph Street in the Loop when, according to their complaints, Hamid Popal (left), age 22, repeatedly yelled the slur at them. When the woman admonished Popal for the slur, he “approached in a threatening manner.” The man from Minnesota stepped in to protect her and he was struck in the face and body, allegedly by Popal and others in his group.

Meanwhile, at Union Station, a 48-year-old man was assaulted by two 18-year-olds from Plainfield, Illinois, one of whom claimed to be a member of a South Side street gang. “I’m a Vice Lord. I’m gonna shoot your ass,” said Cecil Harris, according to court documents. (Right) Harris, who claimed to be a member of a gang started in the North Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago and, yes, you read that correctly.

Harris was arrested along with Illia Mendzialeyeu. The incident happened at around 1:30 p.m.

At around 3:30 p.m., on Michigan Avenue near The Art Institute of Chicago, a man pulled a gun from a backpack and placed it in his waistband.

With the help of witness descriptions, police stopped 19-year-old Christopher Salme almost immediately. They recovered the gun and 23 rounds of ammunition.

Salme, on probation for armed robbery, was charged with possessing a firearm without proper ID, unlawful use of a weapon, and resisting police. He was ordered held in custody without bail.

Man punches mirror off squad car

A man from the Archer Heights neighborhood southwest of the Loop was arrested for punching a side-view mirror off a police car during the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Derric Hagen is charged with one felony count of criminal damage to government property.

Police say Hagen was able to shatter the glass and crack the mirror’s plastic housing. The squad car was stopped on Wacker Drive just east of Michigan Avenue.

CWB Chicago says six arrests were made in the Wrigleyville neighborhood north of the Loop.