Protests Over Dolton Police Shooting That Killed 19-Year-Old Alexis Wilson End With Arrests
DOLTON, Ill. (CBS) -- A protest over a highly-charged surveillance video in Dolton ended with arrests Wednesday night.
As CBS 2's Charlie De Mar reported, the video showed an incident last month in which a woman drove off and dragged a Dolton police officer, before police shot and killed her.
Chicago Road near 142nd Street in Dolton was back open Wednesday night. Police had it shut down for some time during the protests.
The Dolton Village Hall is just about a block from where the protests took place.
The demonstrators still have questions after Alexis Wilson, 19, was shot and killed by Dolton police.
Cellphone video provided to CBS 2 showed some of those arrests at the protest. Dolton police said the crowd crossed barriers and police lines that were set up, and that was when the arrests occurred.
Protesters who spoke with De Mar said they were peacefully demonstrating on the sidewalk.
Several police departments were called in, including Illinois State Police.
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Williams said she was one of the people detained and released Wednesday night.
"He told me I was arrested for disturbance, so I got some disturbance charges – and you know, I feel like my rights to protest was infringed on," said Cameilla Williams of Good Kids Mad City.
The chain of events that ended with police shooting and killing Wilson began around 1 a.m. Tuesday, July 27.
Employees at Baba's Famous Steak & Lemonade restaurant called police after a woman was "acting irrationally" at the drive-thru window, located at Oakley Avenue and Sibley Boulevard. The restaurant was closed at the time, and Wilson apparently was upset that she couldn't receive service, officials said.
Workers said Wilson was in a red van and was threatening them with a weapon.
Dolton Village spokesman Sean Howard said at the time when police showed up, they asked Wilson and a male passenger to get out of the van. The passenger got out, but police said Wilson refused.
Surveillance video obtained by CBS 2 shows an officer on the passenger side bend into the front seat to try to get the driver out of the car as she speeds off, dragging him with her.
Howard said Wilson was heading toward the other officer, when that officer fired at least three shots into the car – which hit Wilson.
Wilson's vehicle blew through several layers of cinderblock and into a business called the Compleat Cyclist.
"We are protesting to find out what happened to Alexis Wilson," Wilson said. "Accountability - that's why we are here. We're going to continue to be here. We're going to continue to stand for justice. No arrest is going to run us away."
Dolton police said three people were detained Wednesday night, while the activists with whom we spoke said four of their members were arrested and detained.
The shooting of Wilson has been the catalyst of several protests in Dolton in recent weeks. Some of them were targeted at Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard for comments that she has made publicly about the shooting.
Again—Dolton police say they issued three citations here tonight. This shooting has been the catalyst for several protests some of which have been directed at the mayor and comments she has made about the shooting.
The Illinois State Police are still investigating the officer shooting that killed Wilson.