5 Chicago officers hit by car while dispersing crowd

Five Chicago police officers were struck by a car early Sunday morning while dispersing a large crowd on the city’s West Side, an incident that unfolded amid a weekend of violence that left at least 21 people shot, one fatally, according to police.

The officers were on foot responding to a gathering of hundreds of teenagers in the 1200 block of South Loomis Street at approximately 3:20 a.m. when a blue sedan traveling westbound in an eastbound lane hit them, the Chicago Police Department said. The vehicle then mounted a curb, crashed into a police patrol car, a utility pole, and a fence before coming to a stop.

The driver, an 18-year-old man, was not injured and was taken into custody. Police said a weapon was recovered from the vehicle. Charges are pending. All five officers were transported to local hospitals and were listed in fair condition, officials said. No other injuries were reported from the incident.

Approximately 30 minutes later, a 19-year-old man was shot in the 1100 block of West Roosevelt Road, about half a mile from the scene of the earlier gathering. Police did not say whether the shooting was related to the large crowd.

The events occurred during Memorial Day...