Chicago teen takeovers lead to chaos, Mayor Johnson faces backlash
Chicago faced chaotic teen takeovers over Memorial Day weekend, with five police officers struck by a car. Mayor Brandon Johnson's response has drawn criticism from Alderman Raymond Lopez, who argues against the mayor's rhetoric on accountability. Lopez stresses the importance of parental responsibility and urges voters to demand effective solutions to the city's crime issues.
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson came under fierce criticism from fellow Democrat Alderman Raymond Lopez on Tuesday after a chaotic Memorial Day weekend saw hundreds of teens form a takeover-style gathering that ended with one suspect accused of striking five police officers with a vehicle.
"Mayor Johnson does not know the meaning of the word consequences," Lopez told Fox News on Tuesday.
"Despite his rhetoric, despite his postings on X and other social media platforms, he has no intention of ever holding either these teens, these young adults or their parents accountable for their actions, even when they try to kill five officers using a car as we saw this weekend."
Lopez's remarks come after a "teen takeover" on the city's Near West Side resulted in officers being struck by a car heading west in an eastbound lane.
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson speaks during a press conference on the fifth floor of City Hall in Chicago on Jan. 27. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Officers were taken to area hospitals and listed in fair condition, Chicago's WGN reported. They are expected to recover.
The 18-year-old suspect was taken into custody and faces pending charges, according to the outlet.
Johnson called on parents to be aware of their children's whereabouts in an X post responding to the incident.
"There also must be accountability for the individuals who participated in the violent and reckless behavior," Johnson wrote.
Democratic Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez appears in this image. Lopez has been a frequent critic of Brandon Johnson's administration. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service)
Local lawmakers are now pushing to criminally charge parents whose children were tied to the crimes, but Johnson has stopped short of endorsing the proposal.
Lopez, a frequent critic of Johnson's administration, accused the progressive mayor of promoting a soft-on-crime approach that he said has emboldened unruly behavior.
"He has said, you can never arrest your way out of issues in neighborhoods to solve crimes," Lopez said, referencing remarks Johnson delivered last Thursday.
"And that message reverberates with these teens who are now erupting in neighborhoods all across Chicago, trying to become social media famous at the behest of the mayor who supports their antics."
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Lopez called for parents to be cited for their children's delinquency.
"We can force them to get family counseling to learn how to be better parents because, ultimately, that should be our goal because we cannot rely on sacrificing our law enforcement officers simply because our children do not have any sense of values," he added.
"They're being told that this is their culture. This is not their culture, this isn't the culture of our city. We are better than this, and yet the mayor and police leadership continue to talk tough while doing absolutely nothing about it."
Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson's office for comment but did not receive an immediate reply.
Taylor Penley is an associate editor with Fox News.
