Trouble erupted Saturday night, July 4, in Bridgeview along Harlem Avenue near 84th Street, where a large gathering of people had assembled to set off fireworks. The situation deteriorated as the volume and intensity of pyrotechnics escalated beyond safe levels and the crowd began moving into nearby neighborhoods.
Police Chief Ricardo Mancha described the Saturday night scene to news reporters as untenable for emergency responders. On Monday, he told the Desplaines Valley News the crowd numbered about 400 people.
“It was chaotic,”Mancha said. “The crowd was huge and kept betting bigger.”
Officers ultimately deployed a rescue vehicle to create a protective corridor, allowing them to clear the area and prevent further injuries. By midnight, the crowd was gone.
“The sheer volume of fireworks being discharged made it impossible for officers to enter safely,” Mancha explained in a CBS Chicago report. “The fire department faced the same constraints.”
Once the immediate danger subsided, police coordinated with neighboring departments to disperse the remaining crowds.
Mancha told Fox Chicago three or four individuals were hurt by fireworks but he didn’t have information on the nature of their injuries.
Southwest Regional Publishing reporter Jim Hook contributed to this report.
Hey Bridgeview,
What happened to all those American flags that USED to run along Harlem Ave.? For America’s 250th anniversary it was pretty devoid of the red, white, and blue.