Watch: Chicago Transit Authority Passenger Sets Fire Aboard Red Line Train
A dramatic video footage was released by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) on Friday night which showed a fire aboard a Red Line train.
According to a report in the Chicago Tribune, the incident took place in the evening on Jan. 18 on a southbound train near Argyle Avenue station in Rogers Park, one of the 77 Chicago community areas on the far north side of Chicago.
The video footage shows the passenger, who police officials identified as David M. Ferguson, seated on a train, holding something that looks like a can in his hand.
A man in a dark uniform can also be seen at the door speaking to Ferguson after which the two of them begin to brawl. During the fight, two Chicago Police officers can be seen boarding the train to join the scuffle.
The video then shows the men restraining Ferguson, after which flames begin to erupt in the train, filling it with black smoke.
Reports state that prosecutors said during his bond hearing last month, 28-year-old Ferguson had sprayed paint thinner on another passenger, then set himself and several seats in a train car on fire.
The fire also burned a Chicago police officer’s shoes and caused a total of $10,000 in damages, according to city officials.
After the incident, Ferguson and a CTA employee were taken to Weiss Memorial Hospital located in Uptown, Chicago, for smoke inhalation.
Ferguson was charged with aggravated arson and aggravated battery. He is being held at Cook County Jail without the possibility of bail.
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