Chicago police took 20+ minutes to respond to hit-and-run crash that killed 3: report
CHICAGO - Chicago Police officers took more than 20 minutes to respond to a "horrific" hit-and-run crash that killed three people and seriously injured at least one other person following a fight at a historic gay bar, according to reports and officials.
Chicago Police Department dispatchers first received a call around 4:35 a.m. Sunday for a report of a man who was inside Jeffery Pub in the city’s South Side when he threatened to get a gun from his car, CWB Chicago reported. But all officers were busy at the time and none were sent to check on the caller’s claim, the news site reported.
Around 5 a.m., police received several much more dire calls: first, a fight broke out in the streets in front of the pub. Moments later, a driver careened a silver sedan into the brawling crowd, according to the report and police.
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A spokesperson for the Chicago Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request seeking comment and information.
Police said the fight began inside the historic pub, which is located on South Jeffery Boulevard, and spilled onto the street outside around 5 a.m.
Chilling video of the fight that was captured by a bystander and obtained by FOX 32 Chicago shows the crowd gathered in the street as a silver sedan barrels into the group.
Speaking about the attack on Monday, CPD Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said during the "ongoing altercation" an individual "gets into the car and then commits this horrific act."
Donald Huey, 25, Jaylen Ausley, 23, and Devonte Vivetter, 27, ultimately died from their injuries, according to FOX 32. At least other person was rushed to a local hospital with serious injuries.
"It appears to be intentional just based upon what everybody is seeing," Deenihan said during a Monday press conference. "We don’t have any evidence to support that somebody was trying to harm these individuals based because of their race, religion, etc. That can change once we get more witnesses and a suspect in."
Deenihan said police recovered the vehicle involved in the crash four blocks away, but are still searching for the driver.
"There were a lot of people out there, a lot of people that were inside the bar prior to this occurring. And we definitely believe that there’s individuals who actually want to give us that information to name a suspect."
Deenihan said the investigation was "active and ongoing," but noted that the attack was not being treated as a hate crime. He asked anyone with information related to the crash to call 312-747-8380.