Three Chicago police officers were shot and injured Monday night in the city’s West Side, suffering injuries that were not life-threatening during a shootout that killed their attacker, authorities said.
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“They stopped to talk to these individuals as part of a field interview”.
Anthony Guglielmi of the police department said Tuesday that three officers who were wounded during the shootout are doing well. “At that point, the male subject produced a handgun and immediately began firing at the officers”. Circumstances surrounding the shootings were unclear late Monday night.
A gun used by the dead suspect was recovered at the scene. When the officers approached, the suspect ran away, turning to shoot as he fled.
Police officer Jason Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder in November, 13 months after having shot 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times, in an incident captured on a police squad vehicle dashboard video.
The last duty-related death of a Chicago Police officer happened on December 29, 2011, when masked men robbed a West Side convenience store and shot Officer Clifton Lewis, an eight-year veteran moonlighting as a security guard.
The officers saw the man and woman “going through the courtyard that they had under investigation”, interim Police Superintendent John Escalante said late Monday outside Stroger Hospital.
The officers were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries and are expected to be OK. “I want to thank the Chicago Fire Department for their quick response in getting our officers here safely”, Escalante said Monday.
Emanuel released a statement saying that “every day” officers “put themselves in danger so the rest of us can be safe”. “Tonight we were reminded of the dangers that our police face, and the bravery that they routinely display”. “The thoughts and prayers of our entire city are with the officers and their families during this hard time”.
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A statement from Chicago Police early Tuesday said the incident is “being investigated by the Independent Police Review Authority with the full cooperation of the CPD”. They will now be placed on desk duty for 30 days, which is a new department policy for all police-involved shootings.
