4 CPD officers among 9 hurt in crash after shooting at District 3 Police sation
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Four police officers and five other people are injured following a crash on Chicago's South Side Saturday afternoon.
The officers were responding to a shooting at 71st and Cottage Grove Avenue around 3:30 p.m., but the crash happened near 54th Street and South State Street.
Video taken just moments after the two cars collided shows the suspect vehicle with smoke pouring out across the hood.
A witness to the aftermath, who didn't want to be on camera, told CBS 2's Sara Machi he saw people lying in the street and a dramatic scene of officers trapped in mangled metal.
According to the Chicago Fire Department, three of the officers were hospitalized in serious to critical condition. A fourth officer was also injured. Three were transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center and one to Stroger Hospital.
The five civilians who were injured were all in fair to good condition, officials said. At least one was transported to Provident Hospital of Cook County.
Right after the crash dispatch could be heard over radio saying, "We have got a squad car. There are people stuck in the car. We need the fire department. The jaws of life, and we need multiple ambulances. We need about five ambulances."
Illinois State Representative Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar confirmed on Saturday night that her husband was one of the officers involved in the crash.
Today my husband was one of the responding Chicago police officers injured in the traffic crash in the 5400 block of S. State St. We are surrounded by our family and family in blue. I ask that you keep everyone involved in your thoughts and prayers. This is the phone call no family ever wants to receive. Thank you for all the phone calls, text messages, prayers and support.
Police later said the shooting involved a 24-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman who were near the sidewalk in the 7000 block of South Cottage Grove when someone inside an approaching vehicle shot at them, striking the man in the thigh. The woman also suffered a graze wound to the buttocks.
Both victims were transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center where they were initially reported in good condition.
Police located the vehicle the shooter was in in the area of the 5400 block of South State Street.
After the crash four suspects were taken into custody and two handguns were recovered. Charges are pending.
