Retired police officer shot while attempting to stop car theft in Austin
CHICAGO (CBS)-- A retired Chicago police officer was shot while trying to stop a car theft in the Austin neighborhood overnight.
According to police, the 78-year-old retired officer saw a neighbor's Jeep getting stolen, in the 300 block of North Mayfield Avenue around 1:45 a.m., when he attempted to intervene.
CBS 2's Sabrina Franza learned another car was being stolen that belonged to his neighbor's wife who was sleeping while the attempted theft was happening. It was her husband who was leaving out for work and saw the suspect who took his coffee and banana before stealing his Jeep.
"He jumped out of my wife's vehicle with two firearms," said Terrell, the neighbor who asked we only use his first name. "He pointed them at me and told me to give them my keys, wallet, money, and everything that I had in my pockets."
Ring video shows the retired officer walking out of his house and running toward the scene where the theft took place.
Police say the suspect fired shots at the retired officer who in return fired back before the suspect drove off in the stolen Jeep.
"Once he told me to duck, I dropped to the ground," Terrell said referring to the retired officer.
The retired officer suffered a graze wound to the thumb and was taken to a local hospital in good condition. The owner of the Jeep, a 52-year-old, man was not injured.
After 30 years on the force, the retired officer knew what to do in the face of danger, especially when his friend was the victim.
"Well, you know, it was such a thing that, I'm not no hero or nothing, but I wanted to help my neighbor out," said the retired officer who spoke to CBS 2 anonymously.
Still, his neighbor insisted that what the former officer did was nothing short of heroic.
"Anyone that's courageous to step up to that type of duty and to help his fellow man, in my eyes, he's a hero," Terrell said.
Police said the suspect crashed the stolen Jeep into a parked vehicle, in the 600 block of North Waller Avenue and fled the scene. Officers also found a weapon at the scene, but it's unclear who it belongs to.
One neighbor described the incident but did not want to be identified.
"Yes, um I got a 24-hour business, and I was up and heard shots around 1:45 about seven to eight shots rapidly and I tried to run out to see what it was but it was too late and then the cops came."
Police are still investigating. No arrests have been made.