Illinois State Sen. Kimberly Lightford And Husband Carjacked In Broadview
BROADVIEW, Ill. (CBS) -- Illinois State Sen. Kimberly Lightford and her husband were carjacked Tuesday night in west suburban Broadview.
Police said, around 9:45 p.m., three masked individuals driving a Dodge Durango carjacked Lightford as she was driving a Mercedes Benz SUV in the 2000 block of South 20th Avenue, near Fillmore Street, along with her husband.
As CBS 2's Charlie De Mar reported, surveillance video shows the Durango speeding away, with the black Mercedes Benz SUV right behind it.
Lightford's husband, Eric McKennie, was also in the car with her.
Lightford and her husband were not injured, according to police.
"They made her get out of the car, took the car, took her purse - everything in the car, drove off down that way," said Cynthia Boyd. "Told the husband to get down on the ground."
At the time of the carjacking, Lightford had dropped off a friend at Boyd and Sam Douglas' home near the scene.
"She was saying: 'Don't shoot my husband! Please don't shoot my husband!" Boyd said.
"I heard about 15 shots," Douglas said.
McKennie ran into Boyd and Douglas' home right the incident.
"She was just upset – just upset," Douglas said. "You know, it don't happen every day, so when it happens to you, it's upsetting."
"They made them get out the car, and took the car, took her purse - everything that was in the car, they took all of that, and drove off down that way," said Cynthia Boyd. "Told the husband to get down on the ground or whatevr."
Broadview police said shots were fired during the carjacking, but the police chief did not make it clear who fired the shots.
Lightford and her husband ran to Boyd and Douglas for help.
"He had a concealed carry, so he distracted them," Douglas said. "Take care of his wife, take care of the situation the situation
"The senator she was really in a bad state – she was just really upset," Boyd said. "She was like sort of like crying. She was really hurt by it."
Lightford declined to talk on camera, but did release a statement.
"First and foremost I am thankful that my husband and I are alive and physically unharmed. I am trying to process the trauma of what happened. I want to thank everyone who has offered their love and support. I want to especially thank Mayor Katrina Thompson and the Broadview Police Department for their quick and thorough response," Lightford said in a statement.
Lightford, a Democrat from Maywood, is the Senate Majority Leader, making her the second-ranking Democrat in the Illinois Senate behind Senate President Don Harmon.
The carjackers fled the scene in Lightford's SUV and the Dodge Durango they came in.
Broadview Police are investigating.
