Within 24 hours, two separate attacks occurred at two North Side Red Line stations that resulted in one man being stabbed during an armed robbery and another hospitalized from being punched. Chicago police are now investigating the attacks on the transit system, which recently has seen a spate of similar incidents.
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CBS Chicago reported that the man who was punched was actor Will Clinger — the former host of the WTTW-Channel 11 program “Wild Chicago” and the current host of “Wild Travels.” CBS reported that Clinger remained in intensive care Tuesday night after being attacked. He told the news station that he never saw it coming.
The earlier attack occurred around 4:40 a.m. Monday when Chicago police were called to the Belmont CTA station, at 945 W. Belmont Ave. in Lakeview, police said. They found that a 44-year-old man had been stabbed by someone who also robbed him of some items before running off, police said.
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It wasn’t immediately clear where on his body the man was stabbed, at what hospital he was treated and his condition was not released by authorities, who said mass transit detectives were investigating. Police didn’t say what was stolen from the man.
Later that night, around 8:45 p.m. Monday, police were called to the Addison Red Line station, at 940 W. Addison St., to investigate a battery and robbery, police said.
A 64-year-old man, identified by CBS as Clinger, “was approached by two unknown males who demanded his personal property,” police said. One of the two men also “punched the (64-year-old) in the face causing (him) to fall and hit his head on the wall.” He suffered “minor bruising and a laceration to the head and was transported to Illinois Masonic hospital in good condition,” according to police.
Crime at Chicago transit stations has been making headlines this month, anecdotally alluding to an increase in violence on public transportation in the city, although statistics for the month have not yet been released. Last month, police and CTA officials committed additional resources to combat growing concerns over the safety of the transit system.
The continued news of attacks comes as CTA grapples with spikes in violent crime and complaints that more riders are breaking rules that prohibit smoking, drinking and other nuisance behavior on trains and buses. Police and CTA officials on March 9 announced plans to address crime and rule-breaking, saying they would be doubling the number of unarmed security guards and adding more police officers and supervisors to patrol the transit system, including on the busy Red and Blue lines, with a focus on gang and narcotics crimes.
Check back for updates.
