OAN’s Taylor Tinsley
11:20 AM – Tuesday, July 25, 2023
A 10-year-old boy was taken into custody on Monday after shooting at officers during a SWAT standoff in Chicago.
Authorities responded to calls of a boy in “mental distress” in the city’s Beverly Hills neighborhood. He was able to get a hold of an unsecured gun inside his home and fired multiple shots inside.
As police approached the residence the minor was standing on the porch pointing the gun at officers and fired one shot towards them.
“Next thing you heard was pop pop,” neighbor Maurie Sims told NBC5 Chicago. “I’m like oh they shooting him or either they shooting somebody else, but come to find out the little boy was shooting at police.”
SWAT officers and others took cover and quickly turned to de-escalation methods.
Chicago Police Department Deputy Chief Migdalia Bulness said the 10-year-old came out multiple times, pointing the gun at officers as well as himself.
“SWAT officers, taking their training into account, fired bean bags at the home not hitting the 10-year-old minor,” Bulness said during a press conference on Monday. “The individual then went back in the house… and later came back out of the house at this point pointing the weapon back to his head.”
Moving on to another non-lethal method, SWAT officers deployed an OC round, which is similar to pepper spray, near a wall where the boy was standing.
“The individual got scared, threw the gun and they were able to detain him without incident at that point,” Bulness continued.
The boy was taken into custody without incident and later transported to the hospital for evaluation.
He is reported to be in good condition, but it’s unclear whether any charges will be filed.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts