Afternoon Edition: May 26, 2022

Good afternoon. Here’s the latest news you need to know in Chicago. It’s about a 5-minute read that will brief you on today’s biggest stories.

This afternoon will be mostly cloudy with showers likely, a possible thunderstorm and a high near 78 degrees. Similar weather will continue into tonight with some patchy fog and a low near 54. Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy with showers likely and a high near 61.

Afternoon Edition

Chicago’s most important news of the day, delivered every weekday afternoon. Plus, a bonus issue on Saturdays that dives into the city’s storied history.

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Top story

13-year-old shot by CPD officer was unarmed, raised hands: lawsuit

A 13-year-old boy who was shot as he ran from a stolen car had put up his hands and had no weapon but was shot in the back by a Chicago police officer, according to a federal lawsuit filed yesterday.

The lawsuit faults the Chicago Police Department for being slow to adopt reforms to address CPD’s “long sordid history of using excessive force,” citing recent reports by the federal monitor overseeing the department and the claims of a former supervisor in the department’s audit division.

The boy, identified in the lawsuit by the initials “A.G.”, has been hospitalized since he was shot on May 18 after bolting from a car that police had been chasing with multiple squad cars and a helicopter after an alleged carjacking in Oak Park.

An officer chased A.G. on foot after the teen jumped out of the stolen Honda and shot him in the back, causing injuries to the teen’s spinal cord and internal wounds that have left the boy “permanently and catastrophically” injured, the lawsuit states.

“CPD’s shooting was wholly unjustified as A.G. was running away from the shooter, he was unarmed, and he posed no threat of harm to the officer who shot him or anyone in the vicinity,” the lawsuit states. “Multiple witnesses at the scene reported that A.G. was complying with the officers’ directive for him to put his hands up — and indeed his hands were up — when John Doe Officer shot him.”

Andy Grimm has more on the suit here.

More news you need

1. A Chicago man who allegedly wore a “Trump 2020” flag as a cape during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol now faces criminal charges along with his father, federal court records show. The feds say Matthew Bokoski and his father, Bradley Bokoski, were in the building for four or five minutes.
2. Ray Liotta, the actor who made a mark on the big screen with roles in “Goodfellas” and “Field of Dreams,” has died. He was 67.
3. Chicago police have released photos of a man who pulled a gun and aimed it at a WFLD Channel-32 news crew in River North as a reporter was doing a story on gun violence. “The gun was one foot from [reporter Joanie Lum’s] head as he pointed at the camera or cameraman,” WFLD reporter Anita Padilla said.
4. Chicagoans need to mask up indoors and get their COVID booster shots as the city heads toward a designation of being a high threat for the spread of the virus, Dr. Allison Arwady said today. While the city’s top doctor stopped short of announcing mandates for masks or proof of vaccination to enter public spaces, she said such measures could be reinstated if cases and hospitalizations continue to climb.

A bright one

Wilco journeys down a new country road for latest release

Chicago’s own Wilco is going country. The band will release their double album “Cruel Country” tomorrow, which features 21 tracks that embrace both country and folk.

“Even though our style of country would be more classified as late ’60s, early ’70s, it’s still fun to go unabashedly country,” says bass player John Stirratt.

They didn’t always have that deep of embrace of the genre. As the band reached the turn of the millennium, they grew tired of being called a country band, something that fans and press often did at the time. It’s easy to see why, given their early country-leaning albums as alt-country pioneers Uncle Tupelo.

Jamie Kelter Davis

Drummer Glenn Kotche — who, like other members of the band, played country music prior to joining Wilco — recalled the band trying to shake the genre during the making of “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” as they sought to explore more experimental ground.

“We definitely have songs recorded that aren’t on this record that are much more pushing the envelope for us and just new territory, really exciting things,” says Kotche.

“But at the same time, post-pandemic, I feel like it’s a collection of really fun songs with great melodies; they’re not coming from left field or anything. I think it’s maybe what is right for us to do now for our audience, for our fans…Let’s just sing some great songs together and not overthink it and let’s just enjoy ourselves.”

Joshua M. Miller has more from his interview with Wilco here.

From the press box

• The Yankees’ Josh Donaldson issued a statement today directed toward Tim Anderson saying the two “have a mutual understanding.”
• White Sox pitcher Lance Lynn will need at least three rehab starts with Triple-A Charlotte before he’s ready to make his big league season debut.
• The Cubs got back a couple key names into the starting lineup for today’s game against the Reds, which was delayed for awhile this afternoon due to weather.

Your daily question ☕

How do you plan to enjoy this Memorial Day weekend?

Send us an email at newsletters@suntimes.com and we might feature your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.

Yesterday, we asked you: What’s the best way to support Chicago’s youth right now?

Here’s what some of you said…

“Give them the opportunity to speak and listen to their concerns. They feel neglected, silenced, and forgotten. They are still children trying to find their voices and their places in this crazy world. Respectfully from a teacher and parent of teenagers wondering why adults can’t get it together.” — Lynette Mendoza

“Give them a reason to succeed. Mentor programs. A job. A reason to be proud. Education, not in class, but learning by doing for others. Treat them like the treasure they are.” — Carolyn Jackson

“More after school programs, more schools in their areas so as not to travel so far and resources for families (food, shelter, utilities, etc).” — Sha-Ronda Hatcher

“Social workers in every school.” — George Curran

“We have to give them safe places to entertain themselves. Places that do not require large amounts of money they can’t afford to begin with. Make it free make it a stepping stone to better opportunities.” — David Ness

“The best way to help Chicago youth is to bring back midnight basketball and other activities. In addition having older students mentoring younger children in sports, academics, reading for fun — anything adults can provide to keep youth out of harm’s way, off the streets away from drugs and guns mentoring younger children in sports, math social skills anything that will keep youth as safe as possible, off the streets and away from guns and violence.” — Joan Herczeg

Thanks for reading the Chicago Afternoon Edition. Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.