Prosecutors reject charges for 5 suspects involved in deadly Chicago shootout, cite mutual combat: Report

...Five men were taken into custody over the shootout, which required a SWAT team response and led to police finding more than 70 shell casings. One shooter was left dead and two of the suspects wounded.

The police source told the outlet that law enforcement sought murder and aggravated battery charges for all five suspects.

By Sunday morning, however, they were released without charges.

"Mutual combatants was cited as the reason for the rejection," a police report reviewed by the Chicago Sun Times said of the state attorney’s office’s decision. The report also noted that the suspects weren’t cooperating with investigators.

[link to www.foxnews.com (secure)]


Can you imagine? Sitting in jail, being held on murder charges. Sunday morning a random guard shows up and tells you that you're free to go because the prosecutor is not pursuing charges.

What kind of message is this going to send to these and other gang members of Chicago? Even though the victims in this case were engaged in mutual combat, what about the community? Doesn't it have an interest in getting these suspects off the streets?

Lets chew on this for a minute.

Im a licensed CW holder.. Banger Boy trys to rob me on a chicago street and I grab my gun. He in turn shoots @ me first. I return fire making us "mutual combatants" in the states eyes? Well aint that special... Sounds like some Chicago Style bullshit to me.