Video: Mob of thugs descend upon apparent Chicago bus driver, tackle him to street, repeatedly punch and stomp him



Video circulating on social media shows what appears to be a Chicago Transit Authority bus driver getting swarmed by a mob of thugs, tackled to the street, and repeatedly punched and stomped over the weekend in the popular downtown shopping area known as the Loop.

What are the details?

The clip shows the apparent driver standing outside a bus and facing one individual as a crowd gathers around them. One person is heard telling the driver he'd "better get back on that bus!"

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @Paulvallas

Suddenly the apparent driver seems to push with his left hand the individual facing him, and that individual appears to move away. Second later screams are heard and a fight breaks out.

The apparent driver has the upper hand at first, grabbing and pushing one male backward for a considerable distance.

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @Paulvallas

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @Paulvallas

But at that point a mob descends upon the apparent driver, and he has no chance as thugs tackle and then beat him.

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @Paulvallas

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @Paulvallas

At the end of the clip, a police officer appears and seems to be moving toward the attack.

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @Paulvallas

Here's the clip:

This is video of the poor CTA bus driver that was beaten last night downtown. This is SO disgusting that this is happening in Chi. @TheMagMile @ChiefDavidBrown @MaryAnnAhernNBC @AnitaPadilla32 @FoxNews @CWBChicago @WGNNews @ABC7Chicago @cbschicago @ChiCityBusiness @AmyJacobsonpic.twitter.com/EANvAwkwxF
— Paul Vallas (@Paul Vallas) 1638727702

What else do we know?

Chicago police said a 49-year-old CTA bus driver was traveling in the Loop around 9 p.m. Saturday when he heard a loud noise, WFLD-TV reported, after which the driver stopped the bus to inspect it.

While the driver was doing this, police told the station a male and female began to push the driver and then punched the driver multiple times before fleeing.

Police told WFLD the driver's face and body were bruised, and he was taken to a hospital in fair condition. The station's report does not include the video circulating on social media.

A 15-year-old male identified as a suspect in the attack was arrested in the 100 block of North Michigan Avenue and charged with one count of aggravated battery to a transit employee and disorderly conduct, police added to the station.

Fox News said police did not confirm that the video circulating on social media shows the attack on the 49-year-old bus driver. Police instead directed the cable news network to the "initial narrative" that two suspects were involved and added that the department "[does] not have any additional information," Fox News noted.

While the report on the attack from WBBM-TV doesn't include the video circulating on social media, either, it does show what appears to be a bus driver holding a cloth or towel on the side of his face and walking into an ambulance — and the victim looks similar to the apparent driver the mob attacked in the cellphone video.

Anything else?

Police told WGN-TV at least 20 juveniles were taken into custody Saturday night amid violent chaos in the Loop that forced authorities to use crowd control measures. In addition to the attack on the bus driver, a 15-year-old was shot in the arm after bumping into a man, the station said.

The next day Mayor Lori Lightfoot was asked how she plans to curb violence in the Loop moving forward, WGN said.

“We are going to take significant, swift action to quell any issues,” Lightfoot replied, according to the station. “[Saturday night] there were a large number of children that were down at Millennium Park. We followed the protocols that we put in place from the summer of 2020. When it was time for them to leave the park, we made sure they left the park without incident.”

Here's more of what Lightfoot said:

I asked @chicagosmayor about this. Thanks to @CWBChicago for the information. \n@MorningAnswer @DanProft https://twitter.com/paulvallas/status/1467556467716808709\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/oxcIXOkJAA
— Amy Jacobson (@Amy Jacobson) 1638741271

Chicago mayor apologizes amid backlash after city tried to block release of video of police raid on innocent woman



Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) has apologized and promised "full accountability" after the city attempted to block the airing of police body camera video earlier this week showing officers raiding the wrong home and holding an innocent woman handcuffed in the nude before realizing their mistake.

What are the details?

In Feb. 2019, Chicago police broke down the door of Anjanette Young as she was undressing after work, rushing in with guns drawn and handcuffing the longtime social worker as she stood naked in her living room. But officers were in the wrong home, and had relied on incorrect information given to them by an informant.

Following the incident, Ms. Young filed a FOIA request to obtain the footage captured from the officers' body cameras, but the Chicago Police Department denied the request.

But a judge recently ordered the release of the videos to Ms. Young, who shared it with local television station WBBM-TV. The outlet aired some of the footage earlier this week, but attorneys for the city tried to block the station from showing the video from nearly two years prior.

Release of the videos sparked outrage and Lightfoot has come under fire for her administration's handling of the ongoing case.

Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx blasted the city's actions, tweeting, "The audacity that the city calculated its embarrassment over the release of the video, is a clear violation of Ms. Young's body and autonomy. This was a complete and utter dismissal of her humanity. Her humanity was, literally, stripped from her."

At first, the mayor sought to distance herself because the raid occurred prior to her taking office and claimed the first she heard of the case was this week, but Lightfoot apologized Thursday for the ordeal.

"I am deeply sorry and troubled that her home was invaded and that she had to face the humiliation and trauma that she suffered," Lightfoot said of Young, according to The Daily Mail. "That is just not right. It simply should not have happened. And I will make sure that there is full accountability for what took place."

CBS News reported that according to Young, Lightfoot's public apology was the only communication she has heard from the mayor.

"The fact that she has spent no effort that I know of to reach out to me or my team… that's more of a betrayal," Young said of Lightfoot.

WATCH: Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot uses police to block BlazeTV reporter



BlazeTV reporter and host of "Slightly Offens*ve," Elijah Schaffer headed to Chicago last weekend to ask Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot a few questions about her controversial use of the Chicago Police Department to protect her home even as violent protests, riots, and looting continued throughout her city and demonstrators were calling to defund the police.

Schaffer and his crew were immediately met by the police who informed them that they could not film, though it was a public street. They were then accused of being a threat to the mayor and told to leave, First Amendment or no First Amendment.

Watch the video below for more the details:


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