Suburban man brought gun to city because ‘Chicago is crazy,’ cops say

Donnovan Martin (Chicago Police Department, CWBChicago)

CHICAGO — A suburban man arrested for carrying a gun in Old Town told police he decided to bring his wife’s firearm with him on a trip to the city because “Chicago is crazy,” according to the cops who arrested him.

The incident began when a Lake County man called police after getting punched in the face while walking in the 200 block of West North Avenue around 3 a.m. on April 14. He told police that a stranger walked up to him and his companions, asked what they were doing in the area, and then began punching him in the face, the cops’ report said.

Officers searched the area and found 34-year-old Donnovan Martin of Woodridge and a 21-year-old woman matching the suspects’ descriptions. Both were arrested after the man identified them as the people who punched him, the report said.

Cops asked Martin if he had any weapons, to which he allegedly replied that he “ain’t gonna lie” and that he had a gun on his waist. The officers recovered a pistol from his waist and three loose bullets from his pocket, according to the report.

That’s when Martin revealed that the gun belongs to his wife, but he brought it with him “since Chicago is crazy,” the report said.

Prosecutors charged him with unlawful use of a weapon and misdemeanor battery. Judge Kelly McCarthy released him to await trial.

CWBChicago was created in 2013 by five residents of Wrigleyville and Boystown who had grown disheartened with inaccurate information that was being provided at local Community Policing (CAPS) meetings. Our coverage area has expanded since then to cover Lincoln Park, River North, The Loop, Uptown, and other North Side Areas. But our mission remains unchanged: To provide original public safety reporting with better context and greater detail than mainstream media outlets. Our editorial email address is news@cwbchicago.com