7 Police Officers Hurt In 3 Crashes
CHICAGO (CBS) - Seven Chicago Police officers were injured overnight in a series of crashes on the city's West and Northwest sides.
In the first incident, two officers were injured while conducting a traffic stop at Sacramento Avenue and Addison Street in the Irving Park neighborhood.
The officers were outside their marked police car when it was rear-ended. The empty squad car then struck the officers and pushed them into the vehicle they had stopped.
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The officers were initially taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, one in serious-to critical condition, the other in stable condition, Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford said. But fire officials and police later said both officers were in good condition and did not suffer life-threatening injuries.
Police said one person was in custody Wednesday night, but charges have not yet been filed.
Just 20 minutes later, in an unrelated incident, police fired shots twice while trying to catch a motorist driving a red Audi. The second incident injured three officers and one civilian, police said.
At 9:20 p.m., Jefferson Park District police were on patrol near Addison Street and Cicero Avenue when they saw a vehicle matching a car that eluded officers in the Town Hall District several miles to the east. The vehicle allegedly attempted to strike two bicycle officers, according to a police News Affairs statement.
When the Jefferson Park District officers attempted to make a traffic stop, the vehicle -- which police said was a red Audi -- then fled from officers.
When the car stopped near West Berenice and North Melvina avenues, officers approached on foot. At this time, the car then accelerated towards them, striking one officer and prompted police to fire shots, according to the statement.
The offender fled from the scene on the sidewalk to the area of Irving Park Road and Marmora Avenue, where assisting officers saw the car. As the officers approached the suspect, the car again accelerated toward police, striking a police vehicle and one officer who had already exited the squad car, according to the statement.
This second charge at the officers prompted the officers to fire shots again. The offender continued to flee on foot, where he made a threatening manner towards an officer, the police statement said.
After a brief foot chase, the offender was apprehended approximately half a block from the crime scene, the police statement said.
All three officers and the offender were taken to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries, the police statement said.
At least two officers were taken to Our Lady of Resurrection Medical Center in good condition, Langford said.
Neither the offender nor police were hit by gunfire, according to a Jefferson Park District lieutenant.
In the third incident, three people – including two police officers – were injured in when a vehicle hit their a squad car and sent it into a building at Cicero Avenue and Erie Street, on the cusp of the West Garfield Park and South Austin neighborhoods.
Shortly after midnight, a police squad vehicle was responding to a call with flashing lights and sirens when another vehicle struck them, causing the police vehicle to hit a building near the intersection, police News Affairs Officer Amina Greer said.
A woman in the civilian car was taken to Loretto Hospital in fair condition, with unidentified injuries, according to according to Langford, who said the vehicle she was in was demolished. She was in police custody.
The two officers, both men, were both transported in serious condition to Stroger Hospital of Cook County, but their injuries are not life threatening, Langford said.
An officer in the front passenger seat suffered a broken leg and a few other minor injuries after being cut out of the car, while the driver in the police car -- who had gotten out of the vehicle by himself -- was not as seriously injured, according to Langford.
The police car did not go into the building, it is just "up against" it, Langford said.
A police source said Peoples Gas crews also responded.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
