A Southwest Side alderman accidentally shot himself Monday afternoon in the Ashburn neighborhood, the Sun-Times has learned.
Ald. Derrick Curtis (18th) suffered a gunshot wound to his wrist around noon while cleaning his gun in the 8200 block of South Christiana Avenue, according to a Chicago police alert.
Curtis was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in good condition, the alert states.
Curtis didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
What’s perhaps most surprising about Monday’s accident is that Curtis is a former Chicago Housing Authority police officer. He should know the cardinal rule is to take the bullets out of your gun before cleaning it.
A close ally of Mayor Lori Lightfoot first elected in 2015, Curtis has spoken out strongly against the flow of illegal guns into Chicago.
In response to questions from the Sun-Times’ editorial board in 2019, he said officials “need to continue to stop the demand for guns by continuing to invest in underserved communities through economic development [and] create jobs, mentorship and job skills training.”
He also raised the possibility of suing the state of Indiana to target gun sellers “for failing to adhere to basic standards of accountability” and called for coordination with state legislators around gun issues.
Curtis is a low-key member of the City Council from a ward that includes the neighborhoods of North Beverly, Auburn Gresham, Wrightwood, Chicago Lawn, Ashburn/Parkview and Scottsdale.
Prior to becoming alderperson, Curtis spent 10 years as the 18th Ward’s sanitation superintendent. He built his street credibility while chairing a local school council, serving as a scoutmaster, coach and mentor of local youth and cooking what his website describes as “some of the best BBQ ribs on the South Side.”
In mid-August, the Chicago Board of Ethics slapped Curtis with a $1,000 fine for using his official city email account to advertise an event that launched Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s re-election campaign.
The fine stemmed from a June 2 email that Curtis wrote inviting his constituents to the mayor’s reelection kickoff at Starlight Restaurant June 8. About 100 residents were urged to reserve a spot at the “supporter” breakfast by contacting the alderman’s ward office.
A citizen complaint triggered the ethics board’s investigation. The board subsequently determined there was probably cause to conclude that Curtis violated the city’s ethics ordinance by including “campaign-related content in official ward newsletter emails from a cityofchicago.org email address, contrary to clear board guidance on the improper mixing of political and official content in newsletters and websites” sent by Chicago elected officials.
Days after the Lightfoot launch, Curtis told reporters the invitation was sent from his personal email account. He said he closed his ward office for a few hours on the morning of Lightfoot’s announcement so his staff would be free to attend. Many members of Curtis’ staff did just that, wearing T-shirts with the 18th Ward logo.
“It was their choice,” the alderman said then.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
