Man charged in series of robberies on the NW Side

A 49-year-old man who was arrested minutes after he tried to rob a Walgreens Drug Store on New Year's Eve has been charged in a series of similar robberies on the Northwest Side.
Robert E. Williams, of the 1000 block of North Kedzie Avenue, was charged with five counts of aggravated robbery and violating his probation.
Williams was arrested on New Year's Eve after he walked into the Walgreens store on the 2400 block of West North Avenue at 3:08 p.m.
After entering the store, he approached the cashier and announced that he was committing a robbery and implied that he had a weapon.
The 28-year-old cashier handed over cash to Williams who then left the store. As he tried to flee, two people who noticed what had happened, tackled the man and held him for police.
Shakespeare District officers then responded took him into custody. Police also found the money that he had just received in the robbery.
During the investigation police discovered that Williams had also been responsible for other robberies including the robbery of a gas station on the 2800 block of North Ashland Avenue on Dec. 29.
In most cases, Williams approached cashiers, supposedly to purchase items, and then announced a robbery.  In all of the incidents, Williams  threatened the victims by implying he had a weapon

Suspect arrested after trying to rob off-duty cop in Lakeview

A man was taken into custody after trying to rob an off-duty Chicago police officer at knifepoint early this morning.
About 12:30 a.m., the 20-year-old man bicycled toward the officer as he was walking in the 1700 block of West Diversey Parkway. Displaying a knife, the suspect announced a robbery.
The off-duty officer announced his office and took his assailant into custody "without incident".
Police officers patrolling the area responded to help the officer and took the suspect to the Town Hall District station for processing.

Pedestrian, 80, dies a day after being struck on North Side

An 80-year-old man was pronounced dead Friday night from injuries he suffered when he was struck by a van Thursday morning in the city's Lakeview neighborhood.
About 8:45 a.m. Thursday, according to preliminary information, the man was struck near Ashland and Wellington avenues.
A 50-year-old man who was driving a 2006 Kia van attempted to stop but couldn't in time. Witness statements were consistent with what the van's driver said.
The 80-year-old man, identified as Jamie Ramirez, was taken in critical condition to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 8:38 p.m.

Woman sexually assaulted in Lakeview

A woman was sexually assaulted by a man who pushed his way into her Lakeview apartment and told her, “Shut up, don’t talk, don't say anything’’ .
The 24-year-old woman had been out with her boyfriend at a bar at Diversey Parkway and Sheridan  Road when she decided to leave for home around 4 a.m. Sunday, police said.  She walked home alone to her apartment building nearby in the 400 block of West Belmont Avenue because her boyfriend wanted to stay out, police said. 
Another resident let her in and she was walking toward her first-floor apartment when she noticed a man in the laundry room near her apartment.
As she opened the door, she was pushed into her apartment by the man, who threatened her, then ripped her clothing off and sexually assaulted her. The man fled down the hallway and she called police.
The woman was able to give a partial description of the attacker, telling police the man was a black, in his early 30s with a medium complexion. He is about 6 feet tall and between 180 and 190 pounds, police siad. The man had a well defined scar running down his left cheek. He was wearing black jeans and a dark colored long sleeve t-shirt

Detectives warn Lakeview residents of robberies

North Side detectives are warning residents of Lakeview in the Town Hall Police District about two series of robberies that have taken place in the area dating back to May, with the latest of the robberies taking place early Monday.
In the older of the two robbery patterns, dating back to May 22, someone went up to people and threatened them with a hammer. In the more recent series of robberies, dating back to Sept. 11, people have been robbed and their purses snatched.
Nearly all of the robberies have taken place in the early morning hours.
The  latest of both the hammer and purse-snatching attacks took place early Monday, according to police. Men and women or men dressed as women have been asking to use a victim's cell phone, then snatching a purse or wallet or hitting and kicking a victim, then going through their pockets, according to one alert issued today. The robbers also have used pepper spray in some of the attacks.
The robbers appear to vary in age from their late teens up to about 30 years old. Police released a detailed description in only one of the robberies, which happened about 12:50 a.m. Monday in the 1200 block of West Cornelia Avenue. A robber in that incident is described as a black woman between the ages of 20 and 25, standing 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall, and wearing an orange hooded sweatshirt with white lettering.
In another robbery in this pattern, a man between the ages of 25 and 29, dressed as a woman, got out of a dark, older-model vehicle, possibly a Nissan Sentra, that had three or four other men dressed as women in it, in the 600 block of West Belmont Avenue about 12:50 a.m. Monday and snatched a purse.
Other robberies in the first pattern were:
In the 900 block of West Belmont Avenue on Sept. 11 at 3:30 a.m. and at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday;
In the 3500 block of North Sheffield Avenue on Saturday about 4:10 a.m.
In the pattern in which people have been attacking victims with a hammer, the latest robbery happened in the 3000 block of North Seminary Avenue about 12:30 a.m. Mondayalert.
In the robberies, between one and six people have gone up to people on the sidewalk and threatened victims with a hammer.
In Monday's robbery, one of the six robbers hit the victim in the leg with the hammer, sending the victim to the ground, and the group then fled in a sedan.
The other two robberies took place May 22 between 3 a.m. and 3:45 a.m. in the 2800 block of North Southport Avenue and Aug. 22 about midnight in the 600 block of West Buckingham Place.
In the latest robbery, of the six attackers, all of whom were traveling in the car, police released detailed descriptions of two men. One is described as Hispanic, 19 to 21 years old, standing 6 feet tall, weighing about 145 pounds, and with an olive complexion. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt. Another is described as black, between 19 and 22 years old, standing 6 feet 1 inch tall, weighing 165 pounds and wearing a white jacket.
In  the Southport robbery, the robber is described as a black man age 19 to 21 standing 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet 1 inch tall, weighing between 170 and 180 pounds with a black haircut in a fade with a flat top, and having a gap between his front teeth. He was seen getting out of a car before the robbery, but no description of the car was available.
In the Buckingham Place robbery, two robbers are described as an Hispanic man about 19 years old with a light complexion, standing about 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighing about 120 pounds, with a black ponytail and a man of an undetermined race, about 22 years old, standing 5  feet 11 inches tall, weighing 140 pounds with his hair in dreadlocks.

Cops warn of armed robberies in Lakeview

Chicago police have issued an alert to warn people of several armed robberies on the North Side.
Both robberies happened on Aug. 21 several minutes apart from each other.
Three people robbed the victims at gun point and made off with cell phones, purses wallets and money.
In one of the instances, the victims were ordered to kneel on the ground. One of the people sustained a bruise after being struck by the gunman who wore a clown mask to conceal his identity.
The first robbery happened on the 700 block of West Melrose Street at 2:15 a.m. followed by a second robbery on the 3100 block of North Clifton Avenue at 2:46 a.m.
The three males are black, in their 20s between 5-feet-8 inches and 6-feet-1 inches tall. All wore hooded sweatshirts. One of the men was wearing a clown mask while one of the other males may have been wearing a ski mask or scarf to conceal his identity,

Lakeview passengers accused of hijacking taxi to avoid paying fare

A  man and woman from Lakeview were arrested Sunday night after attacking a cab driver and hijacking his taxi.
Brian Mosansky, 23, and Sarah Solma, 22, both of the 4000 block of North Ashland Avenue, took a taxi from 15 W. Hubbard St. to their Lakeview home just before midnight Sunday, and then refused to pay the $21 cab fare.
When the driver pulled up to the corner of Ashland Avenue and Irving Park Road, the police report said, Solma jumped out of the cab and began moving west. Mosansky remained in the cab's back seat, and "appeared to be removing money from his pants pocket," but then fled the cab after Solma.
The cab driver, a man from Rogers Park, made a U-turn, parked his cab, and followed the duo to a nearby Popeye's Chicken parking lot. He yelled at them to pay him for the ride, and Mosansky allegedly responded by punching the man and placing him in a headlock.
Solma tried to hit the victim in the head with her purse, the report said, but the victim was able to grab the purse from her hand before it struck him. She also tried to take his keys from his belt loop,  but wasn't able to.
The cab was equipped with a "smart key," which allowed Solma to enter the cab and drive away with it anyway.
Police officers arrived on the scene and arrested Mosansky, the report said; they waited until Solma returned and then arrested her as well. Both alleged offenders told police they had been drinking before the incident.
Solma and Mosansky were brought to the Cook County Criminal Courthouse on Tuesday afternoon and were each ordered held on $25,000 bonds. Both were charged with aggravated battery to a taxi driver, and Solma was also charged with vehicular hijacking.

Shootings in Chicago August 20, 21, 2013

25-year-old man shot in Englewood

In  the shooting, a 25-year-old man was shot in both feet when at least one person opened fire from a moving vehicle in the South Side's Englewood neighborhood.
The man was taken to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County after the drive-by, which happened about 12:20 a.m. in the 5600 block of South Shields Avenue. His condition was stabilized.

17-year-old boy shot in Lakeview

At about 12:15 a.m. in the Lakeview neighborhood, a 17-year-old boy sustained a gunshot wound to the ankle in the 3100 block of North Hoyne Avenue. The boy was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where his condition was stabilized.
Police said he was not cooperating with investigators and that his injury may have been self-inflicted.

23-year-old man shot in South Chicago

At 10:49 p.m. Tuesday, a 23-year-old man was shot in the arm in the 2700 block of East 87th Street

21-year-old man shot in South Chicago

At 10:50 p.m. Tuesday, a 21-year-old man was shot in the arm and neck in the 8800 block of South Escanaba Avenue. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where his condition was stabilized.

19-year-old man shot in Calumet Heights

At about 10:40 p.m., a gunman approached a 19-year-old man in the 9000 block of South Yates Boulevard. The 19-year-old tried to run away, but the assailant opened fire, striking him in the arm.
The man was taken to Stroger, where his condition was stabilized

Male shot in Englewood during robbery

A male patient arrived at St. Bernard Hospital and Health Care Center after being shot in the 7200 block of South Green Street. The victim, whose age and condition were not released, had been shot in the groin
The robbery happened about 10:40 p.m. in the 7200 block of South Green Street. A 30-year-old man was sitting in a vehicle when an armed assailant entered the vehicle through the passenger's side and demanded his chain necklace.
Both people stepped out of the car, and the 30-year-old handed over the necklace. The assailant then shot the man in the groin and fled on foot

Man shot in South Austin

A  47-year-old man was shot this evening in the South Austin Neighborhood.
The shooting happened on the 500 block of North Pine Avenue at about 7:40 p.m.
The man was shot in the lower back and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital where his condition had stabilized

33-year-old man shot in Rogers Park

The shooting about 2:15 a.m., police found a 33-year-old man lying in the 1600 block of West Morse Avenue, bleeding from gunshot wounds to the hip and stomach.
Police would later learn someone had opened fire after an argument about gang affiliations.
The injured man was taken to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, where his condition was stabilized.

18-year-old shot in Marquette Park

In  another shooting at 5:37 p.m. in the 2400 block of West 70th Street , someone shot an 18-year-old man in the buttocks.
The 18-year-old was taken to Holy Cross Hospital in good condition

 26-year-old man shot in Chicago Lawn

In  an attack at 5:05 p.m., a 26-year-old man was in his vehicle when an unknown gunman riding a bicycle confronted him and shot him in the abdomen on the 2800 block of West 64th Street.
The victim was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital where his condition has stabilized

Man shot in Englewood

At about 9 p.m. in the 6500 block of South Hoyne Avenue in the city's West Englewood neighborhood, another person was shot.
The victim on Hoyne, a male of an unknown age, was taken to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County in serious to critical condition

Shootings in Chicago July 17- 18- 19, 2013

17 year old boy, 45 year old man shot in South Chicago

The two were shot in the 8000 block of South Manistee Avenue around 6:35 a.m. A 45-year-old man was shot in the back and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center, where he was stable. A 17-year-old shot in the arm refused to be taken to a hospital

31 year old man shot in Lakeview

A man told police he was shot around 2 a.m. at the intersection of Leavitt and Barry streets in the Lakeview neighborhood. The victim, 31, said he then ran to a Marathon gas station a few blocks west.
He was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center with a gunshot wound to the left arm and was stable

18 year old shot in South Chicago

An 18-year-old suffered two graze wounds when someone shot at a car he was in around 3:10 a.m. The teen was headed east on 79th Street near Escanaba Avenue in the South Chicago neighborhood when someone on the corner opened fire.
He was taken to Jackson Park Hospital in good condition with wounds to his left leg and the left side of his abdomen

 39-year-old woman shot in Englewood

A 39-year-old woman was shot in the 5600 block of South Wolcott Avenue in the Englewood neighborhood around 12:10 a.m. She was taken to Holy Cross Hospital with a wound to her back

31-year-old man shot in Pullman

About 11:40 p.m., a 31-year-old man walked into Metro South Medical Center with a gunshot wound to his left arm. He had been shot in the 1100 block of West 104th Place

35-year-old man shot in Park Manor

A 35-year-old man was shot in the leg in the 7300 block of South Vernon Avenue in the Park Manor neighborhood. The man was taken to Jackson Park Hospital. The attack happened about 8:30 p.m

28 year old man shot in South Deering

 A man was shot in the calf in the 10000 block of South Oglesby Avenue in the South Deering neighborhood about 4:40 p.m. The 28-year-old was taken to Advocate Trinity Hospital in good condition

Man wounded in South Side shooting

A man was wounded this afternoon in a shooting on the South Side in the city's Grand Crossing neighborhood.
The shooting happened on the 400 block of East 69th Street.
The man, who suffered a wound to his buttocks, was taken to Stroger Hospital

16-year-old boy shot in Englewood

 A 16-year-old boy was shot in the chest in Englewood about 4:15 a.m. Friday. The boy was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in serious condition

 24-year-old man shot in Englewood

A  24-year-old man was shot in the ankle near 63rd and Paulina streets in the West Englewood neighborhood.  Two men stepped out of a white van about 12:45 a.m. and opened fire

Man shot in South Chicago

A man walked into Advocate Trinity Hospital with a gunshot wound about 1:30 a.m. The man had been on his porch, across the street from where a fight was taking place, when someone opened fire. He suffered a leg wound.

Man shot in Park Manor

A man was wounded about 1:30 p.m. in the 400 block of East 69th Street in the Park Manor neighborhood. The man suffered a wound to his buttocks and was taken to Stroger Hospital.

 22-year-old man  shot in Logan Square

A 22-year-old man was shot in the leg about 3:30 p.m. in the 3000 block of North Allen Avenue in the Logan Square neighborhood. The man was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.

Motorcyclist dies in Lakeview crash

A 31-year-old man died Thursday afternoon after he fell from a motorcycle and was hit by a car in the Lakeview neighborhood.
The accident occurred at about 3 p.m. near Grace Street and Lake Shore Drive, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.
The man was pronounced dead at 4:09 p.m. at Illinois Masonic Medical Center
The  incident at the 3800 block of Inner Lake Shore Drive had resulted in a fatality

$100K bail for man who tried to sexually assault woman, 72

A judge today set bail at $100,000 for a property manager from Skokie who is accused of breaking into a 72-year-old woman’s apartment and trying to sexually abuse her last week in Chicago's Lake View East neighborhood.
Malik Dervisevic,36, appeared before Judge James Brown, who set bail at $100,000 today. Prosecutors said Dervisevic has no criminal background.
Dervisevic, of the 7600 block of Long Avenue in Skokie, was charged with burglary, aggravated battery to a senior citizen and attempted aggravated criminal sexual abuse, all of which are felonies.
Prosecutors said the victim had locked both locks on her door before she left for the store on the afternoon of June 7 in the 500 block of West Belmont Avenue.
But when she got home, noticed that only one of the locks was still locked. When she went inside, she saw Dervisevic, who is her building manager, in her apartment and trying to hide.
According a police report, Dervisevic said to her: “You can make this easy" before ordering her to lay on the bed.
When she wasn’t able to grab a knife from the kitchen, she picked up her cell phone and the two began struggling for it. She twisted her right wrist and Dervisevic fled.
 The report said the victim was afraid to call police, but she iced her wrist and went to an immediate care clinic where a doctor said she suffered a fracture and she was given a cast.
Prosecutors said she was afraid because Dervisevic had previously threatened her.
On Thursday a Catholic Charities worker who was visiting the victim saw her wrist, learned what happened and called authorities, police said.
 Dervisevic was arrested in the building’s office.

Convict arrested in Lakeview robberies of waitress, mom and kids at restaurant

A former Tennessee convict burst into a Lakeview neighborhood restaurant over the weekend, robbed a waitress and forced a suburban mother and her two children into a back bathroom before threatening to shoot them.
But the quick-thinking mother texted her husband, and police were able to arrest the suspect inside the Cassava bakery and smoothie shop.
William Castle, 43, was charged with aggravated robbery, unlawful restraint, kidnapping and attempted robbery in the incident Sunday evening.
The Buffalo Grove family was eating at Cassava at 3338 N. Clark St. about 6:10 p.m. when the suspect entered the kitchen area, grabbed a server by the collar and said, "Give me all the cash".
Cook County prosecutors said Castle claimed to have a gun and threatened to shoot the family if they called the police.
Castle ordered the 43-year-old mother, her son, 13, and her daughter, 10, into a rear bathroom. He demanded their cellphones, but the mother was able to text her husband moments before she handed her phone over.
"Don't come robber in here call 911," the police report quoted the woman as texting her husband.
The husband called police.
In the meantime, the robber demanded that the waitress shut all the lights off to make it appear as though the restaurant was closed. The suspect then grabbed the teenage waitress by the shoulders, shook her violently and tried to kiss her. As police arrived in front of the shop, the robber took the waitress to the back of the business. As the woman screamed and started to cry, he threatened to choke her if she didn't stop making noise.
The suspect then tried to run out the back of the store, police said. An officer stationed there arrested him at gunpoint, and several other officers handcuffed him,.
Castle was found with $333 in cash in his pocket.
Castle's record in Tennessee includes a 1993 conviction for attempted rape, robbery and kidnapping. In 1994 he was convicted of aggravated sexual battery, robbery and kidnapping and sentenced to 16 years in state prison.
Castle completed his parole in September, according to Tennessee state records. He was required to register as a sex offender.

Quick work by Police:nabs robbery suspects

A quick response by a sergeant early today led to the arrest of three men accused of robbing a man as he was hailing a cab in the Lakeview neighborhood on the North Side.
A fourth suspect managed to escape after fighting with the responding sergeant, who was left with cuts and bruises but declined hospital treatment.
Terrell Williams, 18, of the 3300 block of Western Avenue in Park Forest, William Brown, 25, of the 300 block of South Western Avenue in Chicago, and Dontay Underwood, 19, of the 500 block of West Chestnut Street in Chicago, were each charged with robbery.
Underwood also was charged with resisting a peace officer and for the issuance of a warrant
The three and an unidentified accomplice approached a man and began hitting him until he fell to the ground at about 12:45 a.m. as the victim was trying to hail a cab on Sheffield Avenue near Belmont Avenue.
One of the suspects then reached into the victim’s pocket and removed a cell phone and other property, but they fled when confronted by a bystander.
A Belmont District police sergeant searched the area and found the four suspects a short distance away from where the robbery occurred.
While placing the suspects into custody, the unknown fourth suspect began punching, kicking and pushing the sergeant before getting away.
Underwood also fled the scene but was located, placed into custody, and charged accordingly with co-offenders Brown and Williams after attempting to defeat arrest. The victim’s property was located and recovered.
Police News Affairs Officer Joshua Purkiss said the sergeant suffered some cuts and scrapes and was treated on the scene.

Man charged with beating, stabbing prosecutor in Lakeview

A man has been charged with beating and stabbing a Cook County prosecutor who tried to intervene when he saw two men harassing a couple they thought was gay.
Edgar Diaz, 21, of the 5600 block of West Grand Avenue, is charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery. He was arrested last week and identified by witnesses.
The prosecutor was on his way to meet a friend to fish along the lakefront around 7 p.m. Sept. 14 when he saw two people shouting at the couple and told them to stop, according to Sally Daly, a spokeswoman for the state's attorney's office. "They turned on him and ran at him."
The prosecutor, 31, was cut near the left eye, on his side and under his right arm.
Diaz has a previous conviction for unlawful use of a weapon and has a pending criminal case for felony involving drugs, possession of a handgun by a felon and armed violence

Two charged in Lakeview police shootout

Two people have been charged in a shootout with police this week following a traffic stop in the Lakeview neighborhood
  Luis Zapata, 21, of the 2900 block of North Seeley Avenue, was charged late Tuesday with aggravated assault of a police officer, aggravated discharge of a firearm, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, and unlawful posession of a firearm by a gang member,
Michael Munoz, 27, of the 1300 block of West Winnemac Avenue, was charged with misdemeanor aggravated assault.
Zapata was ordered held in lieu of $250,000 bail in a bond hearing midday today.
The confrontation happened after two uniformed officers in a marked squad car made a traffic stop in the 2200 block of West Barry Avenue. As the officers went up to the vehicle, someone fired shots at them, and the car sped off, heading south in a alley running behind the 3000 block of North Leavitt Avenue.
As Zapata ran from the scene followed by one officer, he moved in a way that the officer thought he might have a gun, and fired on him. At the same time, an officer chasing the other two who had been in the car saw Munoz move in a way that made officer think he might have a gun, and the officer fired on him.
No one was struck by gunfire, and all three suspects were arrested in the 3000 block of North Leavitt.

Man attacks 2 women in Lakeview

A man broke into a Lakeview residence early today and tried to sexually assault one of two women inside before fleeing with some of their property.
About 5 a.m. the two women, age 24 and 25, were asleep in their residence in the 800 block of West Newport Avenue when the attacker broke in.
When the man tried to sexually assault the 25-year-old victim, the noise awoke the second woman -- which caused the attacker to flee after taking miscellaneous property.
The alert describes the attacker as a black man 25-35 years old, 6-foot-1 to 6-foot-3, and 180-200 pounds, with black, close-cropped hair. He was wearing a long-sleeved dark-colored T-shirt and jeans.

4 charged in Lakeview mob attack that left man with broken jaw

Four men were being questioned tonight in connection with a mob attack of a crowd of people in Lakeviewearly this morning that left one man with a broken jaw and was videotaped by someone who was with the attackers
The attacks happened about 1:10 a.m. at Clark Street and Cornelia Avenue, just south of Wrigley Field, when between 8 and 10 people jumped out of a white stretch limousine.
Several people from the limousine started punching and hitting another group of people, and someone who was with them began recording the attack on video.
Following the attacks, a 27-year-old man was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center with head injuries, including a broken jaw. Two other men, 22 and 27, also were injured and spoke to police, but were not taken to a hospital.
The most seriously injured man told police that three people came up to him and began punching him in the face, sending him to the ground. The 22-year-old also was punched in the head by three men, he told police. The other 27-year-old was punched in the head and chest, also by three people.
Officers arrived on scene near 3500 N. Sheffield Ave. soon after and were flagged down by witnesses, who pointed out some of the attackers, including one man who was not wearing a shirt. Officers were able to arrest four men, two age 32, two age 31, identified by victims, police said, adding that two of the four are on parole.
One officer suffered a knee injury when one of those identified as an attacker swung at the officer and struggled with the officer.
The person captured the attack on video was with the attackers, but was not arrested. Police said the other attackers either fled in the limousine or on foot.
The four suspects, Corry Simmons, 32, Donald Robinson Jr., 31, of Alvin L. Goffin, 32, of Edward Robinson, 31, were all charged with single counts of felony mob actions, police said in a news release.
In addition to mob action charges, Simmons was charged with aggravated battery and misdemeanor resisting arrest; while both Robinsons were charged with aggravated battery and misdemeanor issurance of a warrant.

Man charged in Lakeview attack that injured man and Officer

A Bronzeville man was charged in connection with an attack in the Lakeview neighborhood that left a man battered and a police officer injured while trying to make an arrest.
Witnesses fingered Steven L. Harris as the man who attacked another 31-year-old man in the 900 block of West Belmont Avenue at about 2:30 a.m. Monday.
When a Town Hall District officer attempted to question Harris, police said that Harris started struggling and fell through a glass window at a yogurt shop.
The officer suffered a severe cut to his right hand, said Officer John Mirabelli, a police spokesman. But another officer was able to handcuff the suspect and take him into custody.
Harris, of the 5000 block of South St. Lawrence Avenue, was later charged with felony criminal damage to property, felony resisting a police officer and misdemeanor battery. Both the officer and the battery victim were treated and released from area hospitals.

North Side detectives warn pizza delivery drivers of robberies

At least five pizza-delivery drivers have been robbed at gunpoint in the North Side’s Town Hall Police District in the last month.
The first of the five robberies happened early May 28, the most recent on Sunday.
Most of the robberies happened between 10:30 p.m. and 1:15 a.m., with one happening in the afternoon, three of them on the same block in Lakeview.
In most of the attacks, the robbers, two black men or boys ages 16 to 25, confronted a delivery driver just before he made a delivery and demanded money at gunpoint, according to the alert. The robbers also took the drivers’ cell phones and the pizza.
Two of the victims were injured when one of the robbers hit them with the butt of the handgun as well as his hands and feet.
The robberies took place in the:

4500 block of North Greenview Avenue just after midnight on May 28;
4700 block of North Beacon Street about 11:45 p.m. on June 10, about 2 p.m. on June 21 and—the most recent robbery—about 1:15 a.m. June 24;
2400 block of West Belle Plaine Avenue about 10:30 p.m. June 10.

Police issue alert after attacker slashes man's throat in Lakeview

Police have issued alert after a man walking his dog was attacked and his throat slashed in the Lakeview neighborhood on the North Side.
The man told police he was attacked around 11 p.m. Sunday in the 1200 block of West Byron.
The attacker walked past the victim, grabbed him from behind and cut him on the throat with a knife, the alert said. The man was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life threatening. The suspect fled on foot.
The attacker was described as black, about 30, 6-foot-1, dark complexion with an afro hairstyle and a white T-shirt with black stripes and black shorts