Authorities in Chicago arrested a man on 14 felony counts connected to a looting spree that took place during riots in August.
Lee Mitchell, 28, was arrested on Sunday morning and charged with seven counts of felony burglary and seven counts of felony looting. Mitchell was one of many rioters to ransack high-end stores on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile on Aug. 10, according to Chicago Police Department Superintendent David Brown.
“Criminals took to the streets with confidence that there would be no consequences for their actions and I, for one, refuse to allow these cowardly acts to hold our city hostage,” Brown said in a statement following Mitchell’s arrest. “CPD will not stand by as our beautiful downtown becomes someplace that people fear.”
The riots Mitchell allegedly participated in precipitated out of protests that took place after a police shooting in Englewood. Police shot a suspect after he fired at officers while attempting to flee an arrest, according to the department.
Chicago is one of several cities to struggle to contain riots and large protests this summer. Many demonstrators have been demanding an end to police brutality and racial injustice since the death of George Floyd in May.
