Markham Cop Shoots Driver Who Dragged Him While Fleeing Traffic Stop
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Markham police officer shot and critically wounded a man early Friday morning, after the man tried to flee a traffic stop and dragged the officer from his car.
Markham Police Chief Mack Sanders said officers pulled over white Chevy Impala at 167th and Western around 1:15 a.m., for a speeding violation. One of the officers asked the driver to step out of the car, but instead he drove off, dragging one of the officers from the passenger's side of the car.
That officer managed to shoot the driver in the upper body while he was being dragged more than 200 yards.
Both the officer who were dragged and the driver were taken to the hospital.
Sanders said the officer was dragged 700 to 800 feet, so was lucky to have suffered only bumps and bruises to his shoulder and leg.
The driver was in critical condition at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.
Two female passengers who were in the Impala were not injured, but were being questioned Friday morning.
A handgun was visible on the ground next to the driver's car after the shooting. Police said it belongs to the occupants of the vehicle.
The intersection of 167th and Western was closed to traffic until about 5:45 a.m. as police investigated.
The Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force was helping to investigate the shooting.
"Anytime there's an officer-involved shooting, you have to come together. There's a lot of questions that I know has to be answered, and we're willing to answer those questions, because we take this situation serious," Sanders said.
Sanders said there is no dashboard camera video of the incident, but the two officers were wearing body cameras. However, the camera of the officer who was dragged did not capture any video, and Sanders said officials are trying to determine why.
The officer who shot the driver has been placed on administrative leave.