Laura Podesta, ABC7
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson suffered some sort of medical episode Friday at a press conference for new tactics the CPD will use to help prevent violence.
Johnson was standing behind Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel as he spoke. The mayor stopped in the middle of his speech to ask if the superintendent was OK.
The mayor and other CPD leaders led Johnson to a chair and helped him sit down. The media was asked to turn off their cameras and clear the room. An ambulance was called to the 7th District police station at 1438 West 63rd Street.
Chicago Police Chief Spokesman Anthony Guglielmi tweeted that the superintendent felt light-headed, but did not lose consciousness. He was talking and alert as he walked to a car with Emanuel to head to the hospital for evaluation.
The mayor’s office said two new tools will be made available to officers in the two districts.
The first will be ShotSpotter gunshot detection technology. Sensors around the city that can detect gunshots will give dispatchers and officers a more accurate reading of where exactly the shots are coming from and how many shots were fired. It’s been used in cities like San Francisco to cut down on crime.
The second is strategic decision support centers, which combine real-time intelligence with data analysis from the University of Chicago crime lab.
Johnson, Emanuel and the Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief of Operations, who is serving as a consultant for some of the operations, were present for Friday’s announcement.
When compared to major cities like Los Angeles and New York City, Chicago’s murder rate is more than double.
