Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson appeared to bolt from reporters who tried to question him about the arrest of a suspect in the killing of Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca. Video from the May 2nd, 2024, encounter shows members of Johnson’s security detail moving quickly toward a waiting vehicle as two television reporters follow behind and repeatedly call out to the mayor. Johnson did not stop to answer their questions before the vehicle left the scene.
The confrontation happened one day after authorities arrested Xavier Tate Jr., then 22, in connection with Huesca’s death. Huesca, a six-year Chicago Police Department veteran, was shot after returning home from his shift on April 21 while still wearing his uniform. The arrest was a major development in a case that had prompted an intensive search by Chicago police and federal law-enforcement partners.
The brief clip shows NBC Chicago reporter Mary Ann Ahern calling after Johnson as he and his entourage move down an alley toward a black SUV. “Mr. Mayor, Mr. Mayor, why do you have to run from us?” she shouted. CBS Chicago reporter Darius Johnson also hurried toward the vehicle with a microphone, attempting to ask about the arrest made the previous night.
“Mayor, we just were talking about the arrest last night in relation to Officer Huesca,” Darius Johnson said as the mayor’s group reached the SUV. Ahern called out again, “Mr. Mayor, why would you run from us?” After the vehicle pulled away without a response, Darius Johnson said, “He just ran.” The footage was later reposted on X, bringing attention to the encounter.
The mayor’s office disputed the reporters’ account after the video began circulating. According to the reporters, Johnson’s office claimed the man shown running toward the SUV was not Mayor Brandon Johnson and said the individual was merely trying to catch the vehicle before it departed. Both reporters rejected that explanation, with Ahern saying they had chased Johnson and had seen his security detail rush him through a rear exit to avoid questions.
A second angle showed the group moving quickly toward the vehicle while reporters continued calling for the mayor to stop. The original footage was also shared on X as the exchange spread across social media. Johnson’s refusal to answer drew additional attention because the reporters were seeking his reaction to an arrest in the killing of a Chicago police officer, rather than questioning him about some unrelated political controversy.
Watch the mayor’s hurried exit here:
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Tate had been taken into custody the previous evening in Glendale Heights after investigators tracked him to a second-floor apartment. At the time, he faced charges of first-degree murder, aggravated vehicular hijacking, and possession of a stolen firearm in connection with Huesca’s death. Police said officers used Huesca’s own handcuffs while taking Tate into custody after a search that lasted more than a week.
Investigators said Huesca had returned to his Gage Park home shortly before 3 a.m. when he was shot multiple times. His vehicle and service weapon were taken from the scene, and his car was later recovered nearby. Huesca was two days away from his 31st birthday, and his death was classified as a line-of-duty death by the Chicago Police Department.
CBS Chicago reported that Huesca’s family had asked Johnson not to attend the officer’s funeral, which took place days before the reporters approached him. The mayor had issued statements mourning Huesca and promising city resources would be used to bring those responsible to justice, but he offered no comment when reporters attempted to ask him about the arrest. The SUV drove away as the reporters remained in the alley, with Darius Johnson telling viewers, “He just ran.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.