Man Critically Wounded In Shootout With University Of Chicago Police Officer In Hyde Park
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A man was critically wounded in a shootout with a University of Chicago Police officer late Tuesday morning in Hyde Park, a few blocks north of campus.
A university spokesman said around 11:40 a.m., a UCPD officer on patrol spotted a man with a handgun near the corner of 53rd Street and Woodlawn Avenue, near the Kimbark Plaza Shopping Center.
The officer stopped his patrol car just south of 53rd Street, and the gunman started shooting, prompting the officer to take cover, and tell the gunman to get on the ground. The officer then shot the gunman twice as he advanced on the officer.
The gunman, who was in his 20s, was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition.
By the looks of the evidence markers on the ground, it seems the police shooting happened right in the middle of the intersection.
BREAKING: CFD says a male in his 20s was taken to U of C in serious-to-critical condition after apparent shoot out with U of C Police officer. Multiple streets shut down near scene at 53rd & Woodlawn @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/J5UtfAz9az
— Asal Rezaei (@asalrezaeitv) January 18, 2022
Intense video released late Tuesday appeared to show the shootout between the UCPD officer and the suspect. An unidentified man is seen pointing a gun as he stands in the street – and he eventually goes down for a brief second, then hobbles back up.
You can see panicked drivers backing up as police swarm in.
We sent the video to the UCPD late Tuesday. They had not issued any comment on that video as of late Tuesday night, but the university said it will make video footage of the shooting publicly available "as soon as possible."
The gunman is not affiliated with the university, according to a university spokesman.
No other injuries were reported.
The UCPD officer who shot the gunman will be placed on mandatory administrative leave while the shooting is under investigation by the Chicago Police Department and the university.
Some businesses in the Kimbark Plaza Shopping Center said police told them the shopping center would be closed for a few hours Tuesday afternoon while the shooting is under investigation.
As CBS 2's Asal Rezaei reported, police still had a three-block radius closed off hours after the shooting – along with the shopping center, which is anchored by a Cedars Mediterranean Kitchen, Harold's Chicken, Kimbark Liquor and Wine Shoppe, Hyde Park Produce, and Leona's Pizzeria.
Rezaei called some of the restaurants at Kimbark Plaza to see if their employees and customers were OK and if they heard anything. Employees at Nicky's Chinese Restaurant on the corner said they saw over 10 flashes go off.
The scene was flooded with both UCPD and Chicago Police officers throughout the afternoon.