Share

Observers do nothing to help dying man in Chicago

In the two minutes that Marques Gaines, a cocktail server, was unconscious in the crosswalk on North State Street, cars drove around him and passersby did nothing to help, security surveillance video released Wednesday showed.

Advertisement

The family of 32-year-old Gaines has filed a wrongful death and negligence lawsuit against several businesses and taxi companies in his February 7 death. “Don’t we love each other anymore?” said Gaines’ cousin Drexina Nelson. done something. A crowd of bystanders begin to form around Gaines but no one does anything to help him or thinks to move his body out of the street.

Within seconds of Gaines landing unconscious on the crosswalk, half a dozen people gathered around him to loot his lifeless body. An employee inside the 7-Eleven called 9-1-1 and described Gaines as bloodied but breathing. “That’s devastating to me – the fact that he could have been saved”.

Gaines, who had just separated from his co-workers after an evening out, had visited the store to pick up some chips.

The video shows a group of people surround him while two men rifle through his pockets before scurrying away.

The bearded, hoodie-clad man seen going after Gaines and punching the bartender has not been identified or arrested, according to the Chicago Police Department.

The video shows Marques Gaines, wearing a blue shirt, being confronted by another man who appears to be agitated. His family say that rather than acting out of any concern, the suspects had actually robbed Gaines who was found missing his phone and wallet. The store’s security footage shows him making a purchase. ‘Or maybe (make) some effort to help him off the pavement. “I just don’t understand it”.

“7-11 needs to put a competent, trained security person in a location like this, so the situation is diffused” said lawyer Chris Hurley. Their customer? It’s not acceptable.

Gaines’ cause of death has not yet been released, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office. In the video he kind of holds his hands up, and I know he’s like, “I just don’t want any trouble, ‘” Nelson said.

Advertisement

Moments later, a cab accidentally runs over him.

Chicago Sun-Times