Chicago Police Officer Shot by Man Acting ‘Erratically’

Chicago Police Officer Shot by Man Acting ‘Erratically’
Three Chicago police officers were shot Monday night, March 14, 2016. Sam Charles/Chicago Sun-Times via AP
Jack Phillips
Jack Phillips
Breaking News Reporter
|Updated:

A Chicago police officer was shot in the leg while he was responding to a call of a suspect acting erratically at a park.

“Officers went to approach the subject, they observed him talking on a cell phone ... they asked him to get off the phone so they can interview him,” Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson told reporters, via a live feed.

“At that time, he reached into a backpack, pulled out a weapon, and started firing at the officers,” he explained.

The officers returned fire, fatally wounding the suspect, Johnson said.

One of the officers was hit in the thigh, and he applied a tourniquet to himself to stop the bleeding—which was instrumental in saving his life, Johnson added.

It was a non-life-threatening injury and he was taken to a hospital in another officer’s squad car, Johnson said. The unnamed officer is a 17-year veteran of the police force.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel visited the officer in the hospital, he said.

In a statement, Emanuel said “the thoughts and prayers of Chicago are with our brave police officer who was shot answering a call as he worked to keep our streets safe.”

Johnson took a different tone.

“This is another example of too many guns, too many people willing to use them. But it also illustrates how Chicago police officers put their lives on the line every day to keep the city of Chicago safe,” Johnson said, adding that the shooting “illustrates how dangerous it is for officers.”

Jack Phillips
Jack Phillips
Breaking News Reporter
Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter who covers a range of topics, including politics, U.S., and health news. A father of two, Jack grew up in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
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