PHOTO & VIDEO DOCUMENTATION OF
CHICAGO POLICE & EMERGENCY VEHICLE
RESPONSE TO ONGOING NIGHTCLUB PROBLEMS
The following photos are random, and do NOT document ALL incidents
requiring supervision or response by the CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT
WARNING! The following video clips contain offensive language and depict actual violence.
· Most video clips have been shortened to accommodate this web format, but remain chronological.
· All views are of Lake Street looking south, with Halsted on the left & Green St on the right.
· ALL video sound files (including any background music) were recorded with the images,
AS ACTUALLY HEARD ON THE STREET. The sound has NOT been enhanced, supplemented or amplified.
NOTE:
Every once in a while, one of our embedded YouTube videos GETS ALL CRAZY
and either DISAPPEARS or MORPHS INTO ANOTHER VIDEO. Don't get all CRANKY PANTS on us!
Since they're linked to YouTube.com, WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THIS.
Just take a deep breath, think happy thoughts and refresh your browser, come back later or
view the video directly at
YouTube.com (And lay off that caffeine!)
The Lake Street nightclubs close at 2:00 AM, Mon thru Sat, and 3:00 AM, Sunday morning.
Other clubs in the vicinity have a Late Night Licence, closing at 4:00 AM, Mon thru Sat, and 5:00 AM, Sun morning.
~BLUE CIRCLES on photos denote POLICE and EMERGENCY VEHICLES~
7/20/08 - SHADOW BAR ALLEY BRAWL
3:00 AM: At closing, some club patrons exit the rear door into the dark alley. A brawl breaks out at the east end of the alley,
by Halsted. Some people turn back to avoid the scuffle and the brawl continues north to Lake Street. Some of the group has
moved north on Halsted and SHADOW BAR Security tries to keep the two groups separated. An ambulance is called to the lot north
of Lake Street to deal with injuries.
7/13/08 - SHADOW BAR MOB STREET FIGHT
3:05 AM: As SHADOW BAR closes Sunday morning, a mob of club-goers engage in hand-to-hand combat to settle a dispute.
Several SHADOW BAR security intervened quickly to break up the fighting and disperse the angry crowd. CHICAGO POLICE
were not initially present as the mob began fighting, but arrived to the scene along with CHICAGO FIRE DEPARTMENT
emergency vehicles.
The first half of the video was filmed on remote, till the fighting was heard. Footage from one of
4 ADT security cameras was inserted to show the mob fight along the north side of Lake Street. The ADT footage is not
very clear since it was shot directly from the monitor screen.
6/22/08 - SHADOW BAR STREET BEATING
3:00 AM: When SHADOW BAR closes Sunday morning, a group of 8-10 club-goers violently beat 2 men in the street. As one man
is beaten into unconsciousness (falling behind the car), SHADOW BAR security intercedes and is forced to pummel the culprits
to stop them from continuing to beat the man.
Security pursues the other assailants east on Lake, then south on Halsted, where alterations occur off-camera. CHICAGO POLICE
patrolling the area are summoned to the scene and several arrests are made.
Another chase occurs north on Halsted. A man is apprehended after he retrieves a tire iron from his car and attempts to retaliate
and another arrest is made as one of the assailants tries to escape down Lake Street.
SAT - 5/31 - 2:00 AM ANOTHER SHADOW BAR mob fight requires nearly a
DOZEN CHICAGO POLICE
emergency vehicles at the 2:00 AM closing.
5/4/08 - CHICAGO POLICE STOP SHADOW BAR MOB STREET BRAWL
2:05 AM: A SHADOW BAR mob brawl overtakes Lake Street with fighting amidst traffic. Some ruffians use pieces of SHADOW BAR'S
fencing as weapons. Several Chicago police squad cars, wagons & an ambulance respond to make arrests and deal with the injured.
The camera is set on remote and catches the brawl as patrons exit the SHADOW BAR. Most of the fighting takes place off-screen
to the right as the 12th District Chicago Police respond immediately.
THIS HAS TO STOP!!!
Email & calls are coming in after CHICAGO POLICE sirens alerted neighborhood residents to
SHADOW BAR patron disturbances the past THREE weekends:
- Sunday; 3/30 @ 1:00 AM
- Saturday; 3/22 @ closing
- Sunday; 3/16 @ 3:00 AM; fight, police chase, arrests
NO, the problems are not YET comparable to the whopper CHROMIUM mob brawls;
YES, SHADOW BAR does try to keep things under control...but maybe ya gottta try a little harder!
MORE FIGHTING??? At 2:15 AM, SUNDAY 2-3-08,
neighborhood residents were awakened by sirens from several
Police vehicles, summoned to the SHADOW BAR
nightclub. A club patron, bleeding profusely, became combative when confronted by club security and
12th District Police TAC Officers, stationed by the club.
Interrogation determined the man was the victim of a domestic dispute, when his girlfriend
whopped him in the noggin with a high-heeled shoe.
The sole victim and his
archenemy were hauled off to the Police station.
3:10 AM: EIGHT consecutive gunshots can be heard towards the beginning of the video (34 sec.),
immediately followed by Shadow Bar Nightclub security running left (east). Seconds later, 12th District Police
TAC Officers, already at the scene in an unmarked Chicago Police car, turn on their siren and speed to Halsted,
turning north, towards the gunfire. Within moments, several additional Police vehicles were combing the entire neighborhood.
Security from some of the local clubs assisted Police in their search, but neither the shooter nor a target was located.
The gunshots have not been attributed to disturbances at any of the clubs, and appear to be random. There haven't been
any street brawls since the Chromium Niteclub closed on 12/3/07. However, after Police and club security left to pursue
the gunman, Shadow Bar patrons argue in the street, with one man yelling repeatedly, "He got a club!".
The video camera was set on remote, facing south, and captured the gunshots through a closed window, muting the sound
at the beginning of the video. The gunshots appear to have occurred on the east side of the building. In the video,
you'll see exiting Shadow Bar patrons with the front end of the unmarked Chicago Police car on the far right. After
being awakened, the window was opened and the camera operated by hand, turning east, towards the Lake & Halsted intersection.
The Editor's ADT system captured the activity on Halsted
