Arlington Heights police responded about 2:20 a.m. Sunday to a report of a man with a gun near St. Viator High School, 1213 East Oakton Street. Police received a report that a taxi driver pulled a gun on at least three passengers. Police were on the scene within a minute and found nobody on the scene. Apparently the caller wasn’t aware of the exact location, but knew that the incident was near St. Viator. In fact the incident was in progress in the 800 block of North Beverly Avenue. Police were updated that a white taxi was in front of a residence in the 800 block of North Beverly Avenue and was headed southbound between Hawthorne and Frederick.
Police stopped a white minivan taxi within two minutes of the call for help and were questioning the driver and passengers in the street. Apparently one of the male passengers, who has a warrant for his arrest, fled the scene when he learned one of the other passengers was calling 9-1-1 to report the appearance of the gun. Police were searching for the man who fled, and were searching for the gun. Several police officers were searching the neighborhood with flashlights for at least 30 minutes after the call. Apparently no gun was discovered, and the missing male passenger was not apprehended.
The cab fare was less than $10. The passengers were picked up from the Taste of Arlington Heights festival in downtown Arlington Heights, and transported to a Beverly Avenue destination. During the cab fare transaction at the destination, there was a dispute about the fare. The taxi cab driver was reported to be aggressive and appeared to pull a gun, according to passenger report. Apparently, since no gun was discovered, the taxi driver was released, and he went on his way.