A live shot near Adler Planetarium was interrupted when police say men from a white tow truck confronted a CBS News Chicago reporter and photographer, hurled racial slurs, tried to sic a dog on them and left news equipment damaged.
Chicago police placed the Monday attack around 4:25 p.m. in the 900 block of East Solidarity Drive, where CBS News Chicago said the crew had been setting up near its news van.
The setup for the station’s 4 p.m. newscast was underway when three men arrived in the tow truck and blocked the news van, CBS News Chicago reported.
Once outside the truck, the men allegedly rushed the crew, with one journalist targeted by racial slurs, police said.
The confrontation escalated when one suspect allegedly tried to turn a dog on one of the journalists, but the animal did not follow the command.
After the dog failed to attack, police said property was damaged.
“Two male victims, while standing on the sidewalk, were approached by multiple unknown male offenders who exited a white truck,” police told Fox News.
🗳️Turning Point PAC is deploying the largest ballot-chasing operation in U.S. History to secure key battleground states. 🗳️ Keep our grassroots army in the field and protect future victories! ➡️➡️➡️ DONATE TODAY!!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
“One of the offenders directed a dog to attack a 54-year-old male victim while yelling slurs,” police added. “When the dog did not attack, the male offender became irate and damaged the victim’s property by throwing it on the ground. All the offenders re-entered the white truck and fled the scene in an unknown direction. There are no injuries reported.”
The damaged property included the photographer’s camera and the news truck’s windshield, CBS News Chicago reported. Neither journalist was injured.
The truck was located again before the half-hour mark, police said. Within about half an hour, the search had shifted to Brighton Park, where Chicago police found the truck and the men.
Officers said the men had been aiming a weapon at people on the sidewalk, and the arrest followed a crash involving a police squad car. The gun was recovered, police said.
CBS responded after the crew made it out safely. “We are shocked and horrified by this crime, and we are grateful that our journalists are safe,” a spokesperson for CBS said in a statement.
By Wednesday, three suspects had been named in the case by Chicago police. Police identified the men as 37-year-old Jon Twist of Chicago, 41-year-old William Huerta of Chicago Ridge and 29-year-old Rafael Salinas of Chicago.
Twist faces counts of resisting or obstructing a peace officer, felony criminal damage to property and felony hate crime.
Police said Huerta’s charges include various traffic citations, leaving the scene of a crime, reckless driving, two counts of aggravated assault of a State of Illinois employee and felony fleeing and attempting to elude.
Salinas faces counts of resisting or obstructing a peace officer, reckless driving, felony criminal damages and felony aggravated battery of a peace officer.
In Boston, another confrontation put a single officer in the middle of a crowd as a dirt bike stop unraveled on video.
Around 9:24 p.m. on June 28, police placed the confrontation near Old Road and Ellington Street, where the scene included dirt bikes, mopeds, lowriders, drinking, loud music and an estimated 100 to 150 people.
A police report obtained by the Boston Herald said Boston Police Department Officer Jesse Kennedy responded to a loud disturbance call.
While working to clear the area, Kennedy spotted a dirt bike missing its rear plate. The registration check led Kennedy to grab the bike’s handlebars, the report said. The rider allegedly resisted getting off the bike and tried to pull away.
In the social media footage, Kennedy appears boxed in by the crowd while bottles, liquids and other objects are thrown during the struggle. The sound of glass breaking is audible in part of the video.
WATCH: A mob of deplorable agitators hurl objects and drinks at a Boston police officer as he attempts to make an arrest during a street takeover Sunday night allowing the suspect to escape.
Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association Statement: “Enough is enough. The disrespect is… pic.twitter.com/dzyDB9vur9
— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) July 2, 2026
“Go home,” someone yells in the video. The crowd was cleared after more officers arrived, the report said.
Initial reports did not publicly name the rider or list crowd arrests in the police report.
The San Francisco Trans March also ended in arrests after police moved on two suspects accused of vandalism and assault.
Police said two officers were injured before the scene ended with five arrests, including the original two suspects and three marchers.
The original police action centered on two people accused of spray-paint vandalism, with one also accused of assaulting and spray-painting another marcher.
The arrests drew a crowd around the officers, who said marchers obstructed them in an effort to free the suspects.
KRON-TV interviewed a woman at the scene who argued police should have backed off rather than fight with marchers.
“People were dancing, children were running around. It was just joyful. And suddenly the police came running. Some of them had their guns drawn, batons out.”
She said she attended the march with her transgender-identifying child and believed police ruined the event.
“I’m crying because it was just so shocking to see such a peaceful, beautiful event just be basically run over by police out of nowhere over somebody spray-painting,” one witness said.
The arrest total included three people accused of vandalism and assault and two others suspected of obstructing police.
“I get that in large crowds police have a heightened sense of awareness and reaction and all of that, but the guy was spray-painting. I just don’t feel it was necessary,” the woman added.
The San Francisco Police Department later released a statement emphasizing protest rights, criminal enforcement and support for the LGBTQ+ community.
“The SFPD always respects individuals’ First Amendment rights to protest; however, criminal activity will not be tolerated in San Francisco. Additionally, the SFPD is unwavering in its support for the LGBTQ+ community and will continue to protect and serve every community in San Francisco,” the department said.
