FBI Warns of Chicago Gang Plot to Open Fire on Police Who Draw Weapons on Suspects

The city of Chicago, Illinois has been a violent one for some time.

Historically, The Windy City was notorious for mafiosos and bootleggers who ruled the streets with an iron fist and a whole lot of firearms.  This longstanding reputation likely led to the disastrous 1982 handgun ban enacted by authorities in Chi-Town.  This ordinance remained in place for decades, effectively disarming law-abiding Chicagoans while allowing criminals, who already committed to running afoul of the law, to rule the city with aplomb.

Gang violence blossomed during this time, with shootings becoming so brazen and commonplace that even restaurants and funerals were no longer safe.

This week, the FBI detailed a terrifying new component to the violence that has been directly shaped by our recent societal woes.

The Chicago Police Department has confirmed to Fox News the existence of an intelligence alert reportedly sent out by the FBI warning area law enforcement of a pact among street gangs “to ‘shoot on-sight any cop that has a weapon drawn on any subject in public’.”

The “Potential Activity Alert” from FBI officials was sent out Aug. 26, according to ABC7, which says it has obtained a copy of it.

“We have been made aware of this threat by a law enforcement partner,” a Chicago police spokesperson told Fox News on Tuesday. “The Chicago Police Department takes all threats against officer safety seriously and we will take all necessary measures to safeguard our officers.”

And this was not some generic bulletin.

The alert — which mentions around 36 gangs, including the Latin Kings and Vice Lords — says “members of these gang factions have been actively searching for, and filming, police officers in performance of their official duties,” ABC7 says.

“The purpose of which is to catch on film an officer drawing his/her weapon on any subject and the subsequent ‘shoot on-site’ of said officer, in order to garner national media attention,” it added, according to the station.

The news comes on the heels of several months’ worth of protests against police brutality and racial injustice here in the United States.