Man Dies After Gun Discharges During Struggle With State Troopers In Harvey
CHICAGO (CBS) -- An overnight confrontation after a routine traffic stop in the south suburbs turned deadly Wednesday. Just before 12:30 a.m. Illinois State Police were pursuing a Jeep that they say did not have its headlights on. That Jeep then crashed into a bus shelter outside of the Walgreen's on Halsted in Harvey.
An investigation is underway to determine what happened in the crash that left the passenger dead.
ISP says a male passenger tried to jump into the driver's side of the vehicle. Police say a trooper saw the man pull a gun from his waistband. There was a struggle, and the gun discharged, hitting the man.
That man was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Troopers involved were not struck and did not discharge their weapons during the incident, but after the shooting the SUV rolled forward, striking another trooper on scene. That trooper sustained minor injuries.
A witness at the Popeye's across the street was in disbelief.
"I heard one shot, and I seen a car crash into the bus stop right there," said Dwan Muniz. "It's crazy. It's crazy. I can't believe what's going on right now."
The officers are currently on routine administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. The Illinois State Police Division of Internal Investigation is handling the investigation.
The man who died has been identified as Darren Green Jr., 30, of Chicago. The driver of the vehicle is a 21-year-old woman from Harvey. There were three other passengers in the vehicle, a 29-year-old woman from Dolton and two 8-year-old girls from Matteson.