A partly open truck loaded with Nike Air Force 1 sneakers and Christian Louboutin shoes reportedly showed up in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago last week. Local activists say it was a “bait truck” placed by law enforcement to lure would-be thieves to their arrest. The truck was parked near a basketball court and traveled to other sites in the predominantly black community on the city’s southwest side, according to Charles Mckenzie of the crime prevention group God’s Gorillas.
An August 2 video Mckenzie shot captures residents confronting officers about the truck; it has made the rounds on Facebook, Instagram, Lipstick Alley, and the World Star Hip-Hop site. Another video, shot by self-described “crime chaser” Martin G. Johnson, reportedly shows the bait truck at a different location the next day. In both videos, community members accuse officers of trying to set residents up to steal.
An August 2 video Mckenzie shot captures residents confronting officers about the truck; it has made the rounds on Facebook, Instagram, Lipstick Alley, and the World Star Hip-Hop site. Another video, shot by self-described “crime chaser” Martin G. Johnson, reportedly shows the bait truck at a different location the next day. In both videos, community members accuse officers of trying to set residents up to steal.