Bicyclist says he was followed, shot in Uptown after trying to stop car break-in
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A bicyclist who was shot during ana attempted car break-in in the Uptown community was out of the hospital Friday – and was speaking out.
CBS 2's Sabrina Franza met with the bicyclist at his home Friday. He came out to talk to us wearing the same jacket he says he was wearing Wednesday when he was shot.
The jacket is riddled with small bullet holes along the seam.
The victim didn't want to show his face for fear of retaliation. He told us off camera that what happened was bad – but it could have been way worse.
As police investigated the shooting late Wednesday night along Montrose Avenue near Graceland Cemetery, evidence markers were seen on the ground to count shell casings. There was one for each hole we saw piercing the Good Samaritan's jacket.
The victim was riding his bike late Wednesday around 11 p.m. when he said he noticed someone breaking the glass of a car.
The victim understood. He said he had seen people break into cars before – and he knew he had to do something to stop it.
The 42-year-old rode his bike a half block east on Montrose Avenue – from Magnolia Avenue to Racine Avenue. There, he tried to call 911.
Btu someone followed him and shot him in the elbow. He says another bullet grazed his head.
The shooter then fled.
"If the fighting never starts, you never lose," said Mikhael Kogan, owner of Kogan Self-Defense Martial Arts School in Buffalo Grove. "So do anything you can to walk away from a situation."
Kogan has trained civilians, police officers, and military personnel as a self-defense expert. He said the first step is to get away as fast as possible.
This victim, though, was followed.
"Everything on you can be used as a weapon. People don't realize this," said Kogan. "Your shoes, your phone again, pencil, belt, key – it's a weapon."
In Wednesday's case, Kogan suggests using the bike as a blockade or a distraction – throwing it in front of the shooter. It could buy a few valuable seconds.
"People most of the time don't know what to do," Kogan said. "They just freeze."
That is why it's so important to think about your next move before such a situation even happens.