Drag racers take over West Loop intersection, teen charged with throwing fireworks at officers

The Chicago City Council this week will consider an ordinance meant to crack down on drag racing and drifting.

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A West Loop intersection was shut down over the weekend as cars spun tight circles close to a crowd of spectators for nearly an hour.

The crowd gathered around 1:45 a.m. Sunday at Clinton and Monroe streets, blocking traffic in all directions, according to Chicago police.

Video posted by the crime blog CWB Chicago shows cars doing donuts at the intersection as onlookers cheer and record the tricks with their phones.

The crowd eventually moved to a parking lot in the 1100 block of South Canal Street, where officers dispersed them around 4:20 a.m. A teen grabbed fireworks from a car and threw them toward the officers, striking one of them, police said.

The teen was arrested later in the 500 block of West Taylor and charged with aggravated battery to a peace officer, police said.

The Chicago City Council this week will consider an ordinance aimed at cracking down on drag racing and “drifting.” It would permit officers to impound vehicles and fine drivers between $5,000 and $10,000 for each offense.

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