Chicago’s Memorial Day Weekend Sees Deadliest Violence in Almost a Decade
A police officer in Chicago / Getty Images
Chicago’s left-wing leaders deployed non-police “peacekeepers” to prepare for the Memorial Day weekend’s expected uptick in violence. However, the city went on to see its deadliest weekend in almost a decade, with at least 11 people killed and 46 others, including 2 toddlers, injured in shootings across the city. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that one murder occurred steps away from Mayor Brandon Johnson’s (D.) doorstep.
Citywide Crisis Prevention and Response Unit
The news comes days after Johnson and Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker (D.) announced the creation of the Citywide Crisis Prevention and Response Unit, which deploys “peacekeepers” to “provide essential assistance in deescalation, conflict resolution, and crisis support across Chicago.” Democratic politicians across the country, including far-left Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.), have prompted similar programs. The Chicago program costs Illinois taxpayers $700,000, according to the Center Square.
Peacekeeper Charged with Violent Attack
While “peacekeepers” were tasked with quelling violence, at least one might have been more interested in committing crime than preventing it. Oscar Montes, 31, was charged with a violent attack during the weekend. According to prosecutors, Montes was one of several people who “pulled a man from a car and punched and kicked him on the ground.” When police arrived at the scene, Montes was “trying to take off a neon vest that read ‘peacekeepers.'” The Sun-Times reported that Montes spent 12 years in prison on a firearm charge, but it was unable to confirm whether he was working for a peacekeeping agency or organization.
Mayor’s Platform
Johnson ran on a platform that touted having “health professionals, not police, respond to crisis calls.” The mayor, a longtime union organizer, supported the Defund the Police movement in 2020, though during last year’s election he backtracked on his support.
Chicago’s Memorial Day weekend saw its deadliest violence in almost a decade.
The Citywide Crisis Prevention and Response Unit deploys “peacekeepers” to provide assistance in deescalation, conflict resolution, and crisis support across Chicago.
Oscar Montes, a man wearing a “peacekeepers” vest, was charged with a violent attack during the weekend.
Mayor Brandon Johnson ran on a platform that touted having “health professionals, not police, respond to crisis calls.”
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