Protest Is Personal On South Shore Corner Where Cop Shot 'Snoop'

SOUTH SHORE — At the corner of 71st and Chappel cops in riot gear stood between protesters and a shop where locals could buy Air Jordans, at least before the looters struck on Sunday.

From the perspective of a news helicopter and in the context of three days of protests, violence and looting in Chicago— and an organized attack by an anti-fascist bloc — the tense scene could be easily framed as part of the national protest of the murder of George Floyd, who died when a Minneapolis cop held a knee to his neck.

But on this South Shore corner, young African Americans and cops in Chicago-blue riot helmets knew better. This protest on this corner was about their broken relationship, and our city. No disrespect to the late Mr. Floyd.

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By early Monday afternoon, roiling righteous indignation and law enforcement frustration manifested in a couple minor melees, that community organizer Will Calloway described as “natural when tensions are high.”

“You’re dealing with real raw emotion in real raw people. This the hood. People don’t realize … 'Terrortown' is right over there. 'Snoop' got shot right here. That was on national news,” Calloway said.

He’s talking about the beloved neighborhood barber Harith “Snoop” Augustus who was shot and killed by Chicago police on the same block almost two years ago.

“This is that same neighborhood, you feel me. The Chicago police department, with the intel they have, they know the capabilities of this community, you know what I’m saying," Calloway said. "They know, and that’s why they’ve got all these resources over here like that.”

Police and protesters faced off here on July 14, 2018, shortly after a female officer fatally shot Augustus, who was armed with a handgun, as he tried to run away.

Protesters chanted, “Who do you serve? Who do you protect?”

Protesters threw rocks and bottles. Cops chased them, swinging truncheons.

Police didn’t release unedited video of the shooting for 13 months.

The Chicago Office of Police Accountability is still investigating.

On Monday, on the same block where Augustus died, nobody has forgotten. Calloway and fellow activist Jedidiah Brown did what they could to keep peace.

“I’ve been communicating with the commander. I’m communicating with the community. We’re trying to stay peaceful," Calloway said. "We’re doing our best. We can’t promise anything because we’re dealing with humans on both sides."

Around 1 p.m., the crowd of mostly young African Americans clashed with police. Bottles and rocks flew. Officers swung their heavy wooden batons.

“People got really focused and police didn’t keep their promises and made the situation go back to a heightened unrest, Brown said. “I got hit in my face today. I got hit three, four, five times. I was out here trying to get this thing under control … but the cops were hitting me, lying to me. So, how can I be mad at young people for acting like this when the grown folks’ word ain’t worth s---.”

Eleven people were arrested. The crowd stayed. So, did the cops.

The standoff that lasted hours longer, maintaining a tense peace. In the late afternoon, there was little mention of Mr. Floyd. And no anarchists lurking around dark corners.

People gathered at the corner of 71st and Chappel told me they refused to let narrative of this protest, on this corner in their neighborhood, be hijacked by outside voices shoving words in their mouth.

“We have spoke. We have protested. We have begged. We have pleaded. Please stop killing us,” protester Dionna Flowers said. “Enough is enough.”

Calloway, who helped organize Monday’s gathering, condemned the mass looting perpetrated by African-American Chicagoans that has destroyed small business in black neighborhoods. He doesn't agree with it but understands.

“This is part of our healing process from what we’ve been feeling throughout the years and hyperly for the last couple months pent-up, 40 million unemployed Americans, people losing loved ones [to COVID-19]. All of it plays an effect, man, when you’re dealing with people,” he said. “Personally, for us, we do have demands. And I won’t tell anybody to stop protesting until our demands are met.”

Calloway’s talking about eliminating state laws and union contract rules that give police the benefit of the doubt and time to “get the story straight” when facing misconduct allegations. He wants to force the city to meet reform benchmarks set out in the federal government’s consent decree. And a comprehensive development plan for blighted areas due to City Hall neglect.

That’s what this protest on this corner in this neighborhood was all about.

That might not come across on the TV news when local outrage gets juxtaposed against national angst.

The message gets blurred by lawless looting that hours later inspired a sitting President to threaten to unleash the full force of the military on Americans.

But Monday, down on 71st and Chappel where “Snoop” died, tense moments between protesters and police were personal.

Standing there, I could feel it.

Our city’s festering wound.

Mark Konkol, recipient of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for local reporting, wrote and produced the Peabody Award-winning series, "Time: The Kalief Browder Story." He was a producer, writer and narrator for the "Chicagoland" docu-series on CNN, and a consulting producer on the Showtime documentary, "16 Shots.

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