Police have swarmed the scene after a man allegedly armed with a Nazi flag, rifle and a flamethrower was spotted at a Chicago apartment block.
A major presence including a SWAT team and a police helicopter rushed to the scene with police confirming the incident as "bonafide".
Mike Lorber, a reporter with NBC5, said press saw a man on a building’s roof with a flamethrower, propane tanks and flags.
The man was also reportedly wearing body armour, is carrying a crossbow and lit an arrow on fire as police surrounded him.
Streets in the area are closed including Chicago Ave from Pulaski to Kostner while emergency responders remain at the scene.
The suspect reportedly wielded several flags including an upside-down American flag.
Police have urged bystanders to be cautious as the man may have a rifle weapon, according to Lorber. The building is located near a high school and a school bus facility.
Neighbours told local reporters a man has repeatedly been displaying a swastika flag on top of building at nearby Chicago and Kedvale avenues - leaving residents feeling unsafe.
On a scanner, a man could be heard saying, “F–k you, Chicago Police … I’m gonna kill you!” while blasting audio with the words “F–k you.
Police were called to that building several weeks ago, with the swastika flag going up and down since then in an apparent disagreement.
Community members in West Humboldt Park, Chicago, expressed their concerns at the time about a man displaying a red and yellow swastika sign from scaffolding on a building near a school, reported the Chicago Tribune.
Activists from the West Humboldt Park Community Coalition held a news conference to address their fears, claiming that authorities have not responded adequately.
Ald. Emma Mitts, the local alderman, stated her anger and revulsion towards the swastika sign and mentioned that her office has been working with the Building Department and the Chicago Police Department to investigate the matter.
The sign was initially taken down and the building owner received a citation, but it was later reattached to the scaffolding along with other flags.
The Tribune also reported that, back in May 2022, police responded to a gunshot detection alert near the building, and the man on the roof pointed a laser at a police helicopter.
Workers in nearby businesses reported that the swastika sign has been put up and taken down intermittently, and the man frequently plays music and broadcasts hateful rants targeting President Joe Biden.
Videos uploaded on the Citizen content-sharing platform show the police helicopter responding.
Another video shows the major police response on Chicago Ave.
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