Chicago Police Shoot Suspect After Officer Pinned By Vehicle
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Chicago police officer was hit by a vehicle in an alley in the North Austin neighborhood Wednesday morning, and police shot the suspect, a department spokesman said.
It happened around 11:15 a.m. in the 1600 block of North LeClaire Avenue. Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said an officer was pinned by a vehicle and the suspect was shot by police.
Deputy Chief Al Nagode told WBBM's Steve Miller that police were responding to reports of a stolen vehicle driven by a "known offender."
The police tried to stop the offender, but the offender drove off into an alley in the 1600 block of North LeClaire.
Police pursued the offender by vehicle.
"The officers, along with another unit, come, get out of the vehicle to approach the individual, giving him verbal commands," Nagode said. "The individual refuses to listen again, and is using the car to kind of ram the two vehicles in an attempt to escape."
The offender rammed his car into a residence's car, trying to escape, pinning the officer between the a residence's car and his own squad car, Nagode said.
The pinned officer continued to tell the suspect to stop and get out, but he ignored him.
"The officer fires a shot," Nagode said. "The subject, again, is using his trying to ram the vehicles to get out. The officer, again, fires again. The subject was subsequently taken into custody without further incident."
The officer suffered "severe damage to his right leg," Nagode added.
Another officer was struck by a vehicle but is expected to be treated and released Wednesday, he added.
The suspect was shot multiple times and hospitalized in serious but "stable" condition, police said.
If was not known if, aside from the stolen vehicle, if the suspect was armed, Nagode said.
Police cordoned off a block around the alley as investigators worked the scene.
The aftermath: In the 16-hundred block of North LeClaire, homeowner Judge Craig looks at the damage to his garage - where the car rammed it.
"It's a hole big enough for a person to come through," Craig said.
And neighborhood resident Alana Hall, who heard the shots fired by police, said she's worried for her children.
"It's terrible," Hall said. "Terrible. I'm so ready to go."
(CBS Chicago & Sun-Times Media Wire attributed to this copy. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
