DEPAUL — A man was charged with stabbing another in an argument down the street from a protest outside DePaul's student center Tuesday evening, but the university and Chicago Police said the incidents were not connected.
According to Chicago Police, a 36-year-old man was charged with reckless conduct and bodily harm after stabbing a 28-year-old man at 2331 N. Sheffield Ave. about 7 p.m. Tuesday. Police said the two men were "engaged in a verbal altercation" that "became physical."
Chicago police said the knife-wielding man was "subdued" by a witness and DePaul Public Safety officers before being arrested. The stabbing victim was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where police reported him in good condition.
Police did not release the name of the man charged, as the crime is a misdemeanor. He was given a July 26 court date.
The argument took place down the street from where protesters railed at each other outside DePaul's Student Center, at 2250 N. Sheffield, over a canceled appearance by conservative TV pundit Gavin McInnes.
According to the student newspaper the DePaulia, the Chicago General Defense Committee gathered outside the student center to celebrate the university's cancelation of the McInnes appearance originally set for Tuesday night.
The Committee's "Rally Against Hate" participants were met by members of the DePaul College Republicans, who had sought to bring McInnes to the campus, but were overruled by university officials citing concerns about violence.
The gathering eventually dispersed without incident, and police reported no arrests.
The university emphasized Wednesday that "the men involved in the stabbing are not students at DePaul," adding, "It is unknown whether the men involved in the stabbing had also participated in the earlier rally. [Chicago Police] officers are still gathering information and will release additional information, if appropriate, when it is available."
DePaul insisted it had been prepared.
"We had information that protests were planned and took steps to address safety concerns on campus," the university said in a statement released Tuesday evening.
That preparation included nearly a dozen DePaul Public Safety officers on site, along with six off-duty police officers, the university said. Chicago Police were also on alert about "a potential action."
The statement described Chicago police as "very responsive," and said the Police Department sent "several Chicago officers to the scene to assist with keeping the peace."
The university said it also limited access to the Student Center during the protests to people with DePaul IDs.
DePaul spokeswoman Carol Hughes said the stabbing "did not occur during the protests or at the protests."
Video, however, showed a black-clad man clashing with the knife-wielding man wearing an orange shirt before the man was arrested, suggesting it had spilled down the street from the protest.
