A 21-year-old man was charged Sunday for impersonating a police officer and carrying a loaded gun during Thursday’s anti-ICE protest in downtown Chicago, according to Chicago police.
Willie Mathews Jr., of south suburban Matteson, was spotted wearing a T-shirt and backpack with the word police on it around 5 p.m. in the 200 block of South Michigan Avenue. Police asked him for his credentials before arresting him and finding a loaded gun, police said.
He allegedly told officers he was a “peace” officer so he didn’t need a concealed carry license.
Mathews is expected to make his first appearance in court Sunday.
Thursday’s protest was otherwise uneventful as hundreds marched through the Loop as a part of ongoing demonstrations in Chicago and nationwide against President Donald Trump’s months-long campaign against immigration.