Chicago police officers patrolling Millennium Park arrested a 24-year-old Rogers Park man March 30, saying he tried to get rid of a loaded silver gun he was carrying in the iconic downtown park.

Njandanie Russell, of the 1200 block of W. Pratt, allegedly dropped the gun to the ground when officers approached a group he was standing with after being informed they were smoking marijuana.

Police said Russell fled after dropping the gun, but officers from the 1st District gave chase, biking and then running to catch him.Russell was charge with the unlawful use of a weapon and for possessing a firearm with a defaced serial number, both felonies. He also was charged with possessing a firearm without a valid gun identification card and resisting an officer.

Bail was set at $40,000 on March 31. Russell was due in court on April 6 for a preliminary hearing.