2 charged after fight with off-duty CPD officers in River North

CHICAGO (SUN TIMES MEDIA WIRE) - Two men have been charged after they got into a fight with two off-duty Chicago Police officers early Friday outside a River North nightclub.

Elijah Murphy, 21, faces one felony count each of aggravated battery causing great bodily harm and aggravated battery in a public place, according to Chicago Police.

Two off-duty officers – ages 25 and 32 – and a woman were walking out of a nightclub about 2 a.m. near LaSalle and Hubbard when three strangers approached and the two groups got into a fight, police said at the time.

The 32-year-old man suffered injuries to his face and was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was treated and released, police said. The woman was not involved in the fight, but suffered a “fainting spell” and was also taken to Northwestern, where her condition was stabilized. The younger officer refused medical attention.

Murphy and 26-year-old Denzel Peterson were both arrested less than an hour later after they were identified as being involved in the fight, police said. Peterson was charged with one misdemeanor count of aggravated assault of a peace officer.

Murphy, who lives in the Lawndale neighborhood on the Southwest Side, has been ordered held at the Cook County Jail on a $200,000 bond, according to the Cook County sheriff’s office. He is due back in court on Friday.