WRIGLEYVILLE — A man charged with firing a gun near Wrigley Field after a major Chicago Cubs postseason clincher in 2015 has plead guilty in federal court.
Hoytuan Pierce, 33, was convicted Thursday of possessing a firearm as a felon. He faces 10 years in federal prison and is set for sentencing April 7, 2017.
Pierce was in the 3400 block of North Clark Street — one block south of Wrigley Field — when he fired a handgun around 11:30 p.m. Oct. 13, 2015, prosecutors said.
The incident took place just hours after the Cubs clinched the National League Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cubs would go on to face the New York Mets in the Championship Series, which they lost in four games.
Pierce was arrested moments after firing the gun on charges of recklessly discharging a firearm, being armed as a habitual criminal and on a warrant, according to Chicago police arrest records.
His prior arrests in the city include driving on a revoked license and suspected driving under the influence, police records show.
The night of the Cubs' NLDS win, a new street closure plan — also used in the 2016 postseason — caused congestion and prevented some from celebrating victory in their favorite Wrigleyville bars.
After the game, the ballpark crowd exploded onto Addison Street, packing the streets as barricades and police blocked off all sides of the Clark and Addison intersection from pedestrians and vehicles.
Following rounds of raucous chanting, the streets were congested as the crowd tried to push past one another in an attempt to access the Clark Street bars or get around the barricaded intersection.
While most followed police instructions, several demanded to know why the intersection was blocked or bemoaned their inability to get to the bars, their parked vehicles or their homes.
One fan pushed a barricade enough to tilt it and argued with an officer.
"You think I made this plan? This was not my idea," the officer responded. The crowd largely dissipated within an hour, with grumbling fans heading home instead of continuing their celebration on Clark Street.
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