Group helps in man’s surrender to Chicago police

As its partnership with the city of Chicago is beginning, an anti-violence group has helped negotiate the surrender of an 18-year-old man sought by police.

Officers were questioning him Friday about a shooting that injured two girls. He has not been charged.

CeaseFire, the group that helped in his surrender, has a $1 million contract with the city to mediate conflicts in gang-plagued neighborhoods. The partnership was first proposed after a particularly violent Memorial Day weekend.

The pilot program that was negotiated last month officially began Friday, but CeaseFire assisted with the surrender Thursday night.

Carl Boyd, who is representing the man, says his client is innocent but turned himself in because he was worried he would be the victim of a “retaliation” for a crime he didn’t commit.