Chicago Police officer talking and alert after being shot in the head in West Englewood
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Chicago Police officer was shot in the head during a traffic stop Wednesday in West Englewood, but a source said she was alert and talking after being taken to the hospital.
The officer and her partner, who are both assigned to the Englewood (7th) District, were in a marked squad car attempting a traffic stop in the 6100 block of South Paulina Street around 5:42 p.m., according to Police Supt. David Brown.
Police have identified the suspect, a man who has a previous arrest record, who remains at large.
The car the officers were trying to pull over first sped up, and then slowed down to come in parallel with the squad car, Brown said. At that point, someone in the car started firing a gun at the officers.
A police source with direct knowledge of the incident said two shots were fired at the squad car. One bullet hit a door. The other went through the windshield. The officer who was driving was shot in the head.
The officer who had been in the passenger seat drove the wounded officer to the University of Chicago Medical Center, according to Brown. She went into surgery Wednesday night, and police said she was in serious but stable condition Thursday morning.
A police source said she is 27 years old, and has been on the job for three years. The bullet that struck her fragmented, hitting her temple. A small piece went into her brain. There was no swelling, and the bleeding stopped on its own in her head. Another part of the bullet went into her neck and shoulder. She was talking and alert the shooting, and was being treated in the intensive care unit.
Meanwhile, the offenders' vehicle crashed at 64th and Bishop streets after the shooting, and the offenders ran off, Brown said.
Witnesses said the offenders might have run in any number of different directions, possibly going into a building nearby.
Brown later added that a gun was located in the area near the scene where the car crashed, along with car keys.
As CBS 2's Jermont Terry reported, police moved in with weapons drawn as they searched for the escaped shooters.
Numerous officers were seen racing down Ashland Avenue in response to the shooting, some from as far away as the Town of Cicero. A multitude of law enforcement helicopters were also hovering overhead, including one from as far away as Indiana.
K9 officers were brought in. Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also observed at the scene.
SWAT team members at one point surrounded one duplex, with the mission being to flush out the gunmen – who they believe were hiding before the dark hit. But the gunmen remained on the loose late Wednesday.
At least two offenders are wanted. Brown asked anyone who might know anything about the incident to step in and talk to police.
"Our officers are having difficulty in a very, very dangerous job, but they run toward danger," Brown said. "They risk their lives every single day for all of our safety - and a thank you would be much appreciated."
Mayor Lori Lightfoot released the following statement Wednesday evening:
"I am aware of the Chicago Police officer who was shot in the 7th District and have been in constant communication with Superintendent Brown since this outrageous attack on our officers occurred. My family and I will be praying for the injured officer and the entire Department as they grapple with yet another heinous and deliberate assault on our officers' lives. I have asked the Superintendent to use every resource possible to find the person responsible for this attempted murder of a police officer and bring them to justice. Officers and detectives are hard at work on this urgent mission.
"I urge all Chicagoans to remember the selfless sacrifice that police officers make every day for our safety. They risk their lives every day to keep us safe.
"As we begin the very first day of gun violence awareness month, this is yet another example of why we must have a deep sense of urgency and wholehearted determination to rid our streets of illegal guns. We must have federal legislative action. We all must be united against one of our common enemies: the easy access to illegal guns--full stop."
Outside the University of Chicago Medical Center, officers gathered for a show of support for the injured officer. The officer's partner who drove her to the hospital was not wounded in the shooting, but was admitted to the U of C Medical Center for observation. He got a round of applause as he was released from the hospital Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, a command center was set up outside the Englewood District police station at 1438 W. 63rd St., only a block from where the suspected gunmen ran off.
