COPA investigating shooting by police on Chicago's Lower West Side, second this weekend
CHICAGO (CBS) — The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is investigating another shooting by police this weekend that left a 16-year-old dead and two others hurt on Chicago's Lower West Side.
The shooting happened Sunday around 1:15 a.m. in the 1800 block of South Blue Island Avenue in the Pilsen neighborhood.
Chicago police say the Robbery Task Force heard multiple shots in the area. Officers encountered armed people, at which point both officers fired their weapons, striking one of them. A firearm was recovered at the scene.
Responding officers rendered aid to the injured male, later identified by the Medical Examiner as 16-year-old Alex Angel Cortez. He was taken to a local hospital, where he died.
Two victims, a male and a female, were found inside a vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds in the area where officers heard the shots fired. Both were taken to local hospitals in critical condition. Their ages were also not released.
Further investigation indicated that the offender was one of the shooters who shot at the victim's vehicle, police said.
Two officers were taken to an area hospital for observation. One officer suffered minor injuries.
Hours after the deadly shooting, city crews were outside of a nearby library boarding up the windows that were riddled with bullet holes.
COPA is investigating the incident, including the comprehensive use of force investigation, with the full cooperation of the Chicago Police Department. The Officer(s) involved will be placed on routine administrative duties for a minimum period of 30 days.
The incident marks the second shooting by police this weekend.
On Friday, an officer fired at a vehicle wanted in connection to a homicide in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. No one was hit.
A suspect in that investigation was taken into custody, and an officer was taken to the hospital for minor injuries.