Chicago Police Superintendent Becomes Ill at News Conference

By Epoch Newsroom
January 27, 2017 Last Updated: January 27, 2017
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson during a news conference on Jan. 5, 2017.(Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune via AP)

CHICAGO—Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson became ill and waivered on his feet during a news conference Friday morning.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel was speaking at a podium with Johnson standing beside him when the mayor stopped suddenly and turned to the police superintendent saying, “Are you OK?” People then surrounded Johnson, who appeared dazed as he walked toward a chair.

Several people shouted: “Call 911.”

 

Chicago Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said on Twitter that Johnson “felt light-headed” and didn’t lose consciousness.

Guglielmi says Johnson was coherent and will go to a hospital to be examined, AP reported.

Johnson and the mayor were announcing technological advances for police as the city deals with increases in homicides and shootings in recent years.

“His eyes started to roll back and he kind of fell backwards,” according to one eyewitness, as ABC7 reported.

The ABC affiliate reported that he was taken to the hospital via an ambulance.

“Johnson walked to his car on his own,” Guglielmi wrote on Twitter. He was “talking, alert [and] feeling better.”

The press conference was about the police department’s new tactics.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.