Man charged with pointing replica handgun at Chicago Police

A man is facing charges after he pointed a replica handgun at Chicago Police officers Monday night in the East Side neighborhood on the Far South Side.

Nelson Vasquez, 23, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of aggravated assault with use of a deadly weapon, and two misdemeanor counts of aggravated assault of a police officer. He was also cited for having a replica firearm, according to Chicago Police.

About 10:30 p.m., Vasquez approached a 44-year-old man in the 3700 block of East 107th Street and pointed a firearm at him before running away, police said.

Officers responded and while looking for the suspect, a witness said that a man matching the description of the suspect had just pulled a handgun and showed it to him near the intersection of Ewing and 106th, police said.

The two officers found Vasquez, who looked in their direction, pulled a gun from his waistband and pointed it at them, police said. He then put the handgun back in his waistband and went inside a store in the 10500 block of South Ewing, where he was arrested.

The weapon was recovered and found to be a replica with the orange tip removed, police said.

Prosecutors declined to charge Vasquez with felony counts of aggravated assault of a peace officer with a weapon, police said.

Vasquez, of the 10600 block of South Avenue B, was ordered held on a $3,000 bond at the Cook County Jail, according to the sheriff’s office. He is next scheduled to appear in court May 4.