PEORIA, Ill. – Peoria’s mayor says actions early Sunday morning against police officers after a shooting in the downtown area are “unacceptable” and an “attack on public safety.”
Peoria Police attempted to give aid to a 24-year-old male with a gunshot wound to the chest, but were surrounded and impeded by a group of at least 50 people. Six people have been arrested with Aggravated Battery charges in connection.
Mayor Rita Ali says she has reviewed footage with Police Chief Eric Echevarria, saying it took six minutes for paramedics to give aid to the victim after arriving on scene. She says no one in the community should ever have to wait for help because of people obstructing first responders, and expects people to allow police and other safety workers to do their jobs.
Ali says moving forward, she expects the community to allow police and other public safety workers to do their jobs, and adds that “public safety is not negotiable.”
Ali adds that an ordinance will be drafted for a vote next month to prohibit such gatherings.
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