CHICAGO, IL – A four-year member of the Chicago Fire Department, Omotayo Kassim, 34, has been suspended following his involvement in a road rage incident on New Year’s Eve. The incident, which culminated in a shooting, occurred in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood.
According to the Chicago Police Department, the altercation began around 8 p.m. when Kassim, driving a Chevy Tahoe, was struck by a Jeep attempting to flee the scene after a collision. Kassim is accused of chasing the 35-year-old Jeep driver through multiple blocks, leading to another collision that he allegedly caused. Surveillance footage from local ABC affiliate WLS showed the pursuit, with cars being driven on the wrong side of the street and eventually hitting a car at a red light. Kassim reportedly executed a “PIT maneuver” to repeatedly rear-end the Jeep, causing it to crash into parked cars.
Following the collisions, the confrontation escalated into a shooting. The details of the shooting, including the condition of the Jeep driver, have not been fully disclosed. Witnesses initially were unsure if a shooting had occurred due to the chaotic nature of the events.