Man, 19, charged in shooting of police officer in Cicero
CICERO, Ill. (CBS) — A man was arrested and charged in the shooting that left a police officer hurt early Saturday morning in Cicero.
Giovanni A. Saldivar, 19, was charged with two counts of attempted murder of a police officer, aggravated battery with the use of a firearm, and aggravated discharge of a firearm. Police said that Saldivar is a known street gang member.
The shooting happened outside of Nikki's Pub and Gaming just before 1 a.m. in the area of 35th Street and 61st Court, prompting a heavy police and helicopter response.
Cicero Police said two plainclothes officers approached a vehicle after noticing it illegally double parked on the roadway. That's when an individual, later identified as Saldivar, fired shots.
The officer hit by gunfire, a 29-year-old man, was taken to Loyola Hospital in serious condition with a gunshot wound to the back, where it was stabilized. The second officer was not hurt. The back window of an unmarked squad car, a Ford Expedition, was also found shot out.
"We will not tolerate these kinds of crimes in Cicero and they will be investigated quickly and efficiently with the safety of our residents our number one priority," Town President Larry Dominick said.
The wounded officer was released from Loyola Hospital Sunday afternoon in good condition and escorted home by a contingent of Cicero police and over 20 outside police agencies from the region.
President Dominick said he is "most grateful that the Cicero officer is in good spirits and wishes him a speedy recovery."
