Parolee Charged With Running Down Officer While Abducting Child
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A recently paroled state prisoner who allegedly struck a Chicago police officer with a car Sunday night while trying to evade capture has been charged with several offenses.
Nicholas Sauer, 27, was hospitalized at Stroger after the police officer opened fire on him in a fast-food restaurant parking lot at Roosevelt and Independence. Sauer was charged Monday with child abduction, attempted murder, aggravated battery of a police officer and aggravated vehicular hijacking, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office said.
Police said the officer-involved shooting was preceded by a bulletin issued about an abducted toddler Sunday. Officers working on their day off located the child and the suspect at a Church's Chicken restaurant at Roosevelt Road and Independence Boulevard.
When officers showed up and confronted Sauer, he got into his car and intentionally hit one of the officers, who was flung onto the hood of the car, authorities said.
Fearing for his life, the officer shot the suspect, and the car came to a stop.
The toddler -- reportedly Sauer's child -- was found in the back seat of the car, and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition.
The officer, 40 years old and a 16-year veteran of the department, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital with a broken leg. He was treated and released.
The suspect was taken to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, where he was in critical condition early Monday.
The Independent Police Review Authority, which investigates all police-involved shootings, was looking into the incident.
