Chicago police need help to identify looting suspects (VIDEO)

CHICAGO, IL — The Chicago Police Department has launched a first-of-its-kind web page specially designed to identify people who took part in the looting and unrest through downtown Chicago Sunday night into early Monday morning.

Thousands of people converged on Michigan Avenue and nearby streets busting windows of businesses and leaving with armfuls of stolen high-end merchandise.

The CPD Looter Task Force Information web page includes video from store security cameras and PODs, as well as video shot by the perpetrators themselves, police said. CPD is asking for the public’s help in identifying people believed to be involved in the looting to aid police in arresting and charging them. The information page is now up and running.

“CPD continues to cull through hours of video footage and search through other images that might help identify looters,” CPD Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said during a news conference on Wednesday. “Detectives right now as we speak are in contact with all these stores and it takes a while to grind out, actually getting out there collecting video, going through it, and creating [the web page]. It doesn’t happen that quickly.”

While people mill about on the streets holding up phones to record those participating in the looting, video from police POD cameras captures suspects breaking the windows of Nordstrom’s Rack at 94 E. Chicago Ave., and various other businesses throughout downtown Chicago. The perpetrators breaking windows are enhanced. After the entry is made, dozens of people from the streets follow them in the stores and leave with stolen merchandise.

A second video shows three men trying to bust open an ATM inside a store in the 800 block of North State Street, police said.

“The guy is sticking his face in his own phone and own camera and posting live from [social media],” Deenihan said. “Obviously we should be able to identify that suspect.”

More than 100 people were arrested in the massive looting spree. Booking photos from the 1st and 18th Police Districts are also included, all of whom have been charged with felonies, ranging in age from 21 to 54. The website will be updated as more videos and images when it becomes available.

Deenihan said camera footage is only valuable when officers and detectives can identify people caught on camera committing crimes. He called last Sunday’s event “an attack on our city.”

“Looking at these videos, someone surely knows the offenders causing this destruction, so please help us bring these criminals to justice. We need help getting them off the street and before a judge,” the chief of detectives said. “These are obviously dangerous people. The only way to truly restore our collective sense of security and restore order to Chicago is by working with police to remove these offenders from the street.”

Anyone who may have videos, photos, or information regarding the recent looting incidents, please contact the task force at 312-744-8263; email them to 630lootingtaskforce@chicagopolice.org or via the looter task force information page. Anonymous tips may be submitted at CPDtip.com.