Chicago violence sparks war of words between Trump, mayor

war of words between Chicago’s mayor and President Donald Trump escalated after a weekend when 12 were killed in city and dozens injured by gunfire, with Lori Lightfoot rejecting any suggestion federal law enforcement officers should be dispatched to city and Trump all but promising to send m.

In a letter sent to president on Monday, Lightfoot said deployment of secret, federal nts who “arrest, and detain residents without any cause” is a b idea and urged president t to do it.Lightfoot, a frequent Trump critic, slammed president in letter for “unhelpful” rhetoric and detailed ways federal government could help city to reduce violence, including gun safety reform, public safety support, community outreach and community investment.

Department of Homeland Security was planning to deploy about 150 Homeland Security Investigations nts to Chicago, according to an official with direct kwledge of plans who was t authorized to speak publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anymity. Those nts generally do lengthy investigations into human trafficking, drugs and weapons smuggling and child exploitation, but y have also been deployed to U.S.-Mexico border during height of crisis re to help.

Trump ministration sent federal officers in Portland, Oregon , after weeks of protests re over police brutality and racial injustice that followed killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Oregon’s goverr and Portland’s mayor have expressed anger with presence of federal nts, saying that city’s protests h started to ease just as federal nts started taking action.

However, Trump, framing such protests in nation’s large cities as a failure by “liberal Democrats” who run m, praised officers’ actions and said he was looking to send nts to or cities.He pointed to rising gun violence in Chicago, nation’s third-largest city, where more than 63 people were shot, 12 fatally, over weekend.

“How about Chicago? Would you say y need help after this weekend?” Trump told reporters at White House. “You kw numbers that you hear, numbers? Many, many shot. Many, many killed.”“Reasonable local police officials, including our superintendent, kw that it is a dangerous ro for us to go down,” Lightfoot said late Monday in an interview on MSNBC. “We are t going to have people who don’t kw our streets don’t kw our neighborhoods and n who are engaging in clearly unconstitutional conduct operating at will in our city.”

Lightfoot, a former assistant U.S. attorney, said she is prepared to file a lawsuit to block efforts to place federal nts t under direction of Chicago police in city. American Civil Liberties Union of Illiis rejected any deployment of federal forces in Chicago, vowing to hold “Trump ministration and any such federal forces accountable for unconstitutional actions.”

In Chicago, Homeland Security Investigations nts were expected to stay in Chicago at least two months, official who spoke to AP on condition of anymity said. It’s possible y may also be deployed to or locations at some point. y would essentially be working under Justice Department, official said.A DHS spokesman said department doesn’t comment on “allegedly leaked operations.”

ne of weekend shootings were connected to a Friday night protest where people marching against police brutality and racial injustice tried to topple a statue of Christopher Columbus, and Trump did t specifically reference that. Video shows officers using batons to beat protesters, some of whom threw fireworks, pieces of pipe and frozen bottles of water at police.

“We’re going to have more federal law enforcement, that I can tell you,” Trump told reporters in Oval Office.Trump’s comments about Chicago come after president of local police officer’s union wrote him a letter asking “for help from federal government” to help combat gun violence. city has seen 414 homicides this year, compared with 275 during same period last year.

Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara, a vocal supporter of Trump, called Lightfoot a “complete failure who is eir unwilling or unable to maintain law and order,” but did t say what kind of help he was asking for or wher he wants federal troops to be sent to city.

Lightfoot in turn called Catanzara ``an unhinged leer of Fraternal Order of Police who is craven and trying to get attention.”Trump’s comments Monday were t first time he has me disparaging comments about Chicago leers, and what he says is ir inability to control violence. Just last month, Trump sent a letter criticizing Lightfoot and Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker for a “lack of leership” in stemming gun violence. Lightfoot dismissed Trump’s letter as a “litany of nsense.”

As for protest Friday night, more than 20 complaints have been filed against police, according to Civilian Office of Police Accountability. y included claims of excessive force and unnecessary use of pepper spray. ncy is also investigating video of an officer striking 18-year-old Miracle Boyd, an activist who says at least one of her teeth was kcked out.

Lightfoot also said video h surfaced showing a small group of people h broken off from marching protesters, changed into black clos and, using umbrellas to shield mselves from view, threw items at police.“That’s t peaceful protest, that’s anarchy and we are going to put that down,” she said.Police Superintendent David Brown said 49 officers were injured, 18 of whom required hospital treatment.“Peaceful demonstrations have been hijacked by organized mobs,” said Brown, ding that he will order officers to wear “any and all protective gear” at protests.

(Im Credit: AP)