There will be an increased police presence in Downtown Naperville tonight as a response to looting in Chicago which took place on Sunday night into Monday morning.
Increased Presence a Precaution
Police Chief Bob Marshall said this is a precautionary measure and there has not been an indication that looters are targeting Naperville. He said there have been extra officers downtown all weekend due to complaints about street racing in the area.
June 1 Incidents
Naperville did see some looting earlier this year. What started as a peaceful protest on June 1 culminated in violence when looters broke into several Naperville businesses.
An Aurora man was also charged with one count of civil unrest after throwing an explosive device at police officers that same night.
At yesterday’s press conference, Chief Marshall mentioned a video of the blast that caused minor injuries to several of our officers during Monday night’s incident in Downtown Naperville. Here is the video. pic.twitter.com/cbTtDHMQHJ
— NapervillePD (@NapervillePD) June 3, 2020
A Naperville man was also arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated assault using a deadly weapon for threatening protesters with a baseball bat after they left the protest and tried to get to their cars.
Heightened Anxiety
Marshall said there has been a heightened level of anxiety downtown since then and the extra officers will be there to ensure those visiting the area feel safe.
Marshall said at the time of this posting, he doesn’t recommend businesses take extra precautions like boarding up windows. However, that could change if the NPD receives credible information that there could be violence.
Naperville News 17’s Casey Krajewski reports.
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