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Chicago police are investigating after an off-duty firefighter allegedly pulled a gun on a young man while impersonating a cop.
The family is calling for justice for the firefighter to be arrested, because they say if the roles were reversed, their young black son would've been charged.
The confrontation happened near 30th and Canal in Bridgeport on a Friday night in August around 11 o'clock. 20-year-old Jermaine Smith's father says his son was running errands and heading back to his car when someone approached.
“He comes out of his home in his pajamas to pull a gun, identifies himself telling him he will kill him, tell him to get on the ground, forcefully put him on the ground with the gun pointed at him,” Smith said.
Smith says the man told his son he was a Chicago police officer, so his son complied and got on the ground. They say the man called police while still pointing the gun at him.
“Anything could’ve startled him, he would've killed him son, my baby wouldn't be her,” Smith said.
The man was in fact is not a Chicago police officer, but an off-duty Chicago firefighter. Smith says when police arrived that night, they spoke to both parties and no one was arrested.
“Police said the guy was just paranoid, just sensitive there had been a lot of break ins in the area so they let him go,” Smith said.
“This is not open season on a black male,” said Pastor William Fleshman. “It is obvious that there was racial bias."
Smith's father wants the firefighter charged with assault and his conceal carry revoked.
“I don’t' think he should be that comfortable to come on to city property waving guns around. Concealed carry means if your life is in danger, his life wasn't in danger, my son was crossing the street,” Smith said.
Chicago police say they are investigating and working with prosecutors to determine if criminal charges are necessary.
A Chicago Fire Department spokesperson says, "based on the outcome of that process, the CFD will review the conduct of this member including his interaction with a member of the public."