CHICAGO (WLS) – A Chicago police officer shot dead in the West Englewood neighborhood on Wednesday afternoon remains hospitalized Thursday morning and those responsible remain at large.
CPD spokesman Tom Ahern tweeted that a District 7 officer had been shot and taken to a University of Chicago hospital.
CPD Supt. David Brown said that around 5:42 pm, two police officers – who were in uniform and driving a marked patrol car – tried to stop traffic near 61st and Paulina streets. The car they were trying to stop first started, then came back and slowed down so that they could stop parallel to the police car and opened fire, hitting the female police officer who was the driver of the patrol car.
WATCH: Supt. A complete update of Brown
Her partner then jumped into the driver’s seat and rushed her to the University of Chicago Hospital, Brown said. Her condition improved from critical to serious and stable shortly before 7:30 p.m.
The wounded policeman’s partner was also checked at Northwestern and then released, with officials saying he was not injured in any way. Dozens of his fellow officers were there when he left on Wednesday night.
They stood in silence, greeting him before seeing him raise his hand, as if to signal his well-being. Then his brothers and sisters in blue burst into applause.
Residents nearby said they heard at least a few shots and initially thought they might be fireworks. But when swarms of officers began to arrive, they realized it must be a shooting.
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It was like “pop pop, pop pop pop pop.” It was like five or six shots, “said one witness.
The shooter’s car then fled and crashed near 64th Street and South Bishop Street, and people inside fled on foot in different directions.
In the second update Supt. Brown said police found car keys and a gun “nearby” where the suspect fled after crashing into the car.
Chopper7 HD shot a video of a bullet hole in the windshield of a police jeep.
Brown said witnesses told police the offenders may have fled to a nearby building. Police are searching for suspects in the area, setting up a perimeter and launching police helicopters to help with the search.
Police say they are looking for at least two suspects.
Officers from the Chicago Police Department, the Illinois State Police and even the Cicero Police Department responded to the scene. SWAT officers were also on the scene and participated in the search.
The shooting happened less than a mile from where police officer Ella French was shot and killed and her partner, Officer Carlos Janes Jr., was seriously injured 10 months ago. Some in the community are fed up.
“You’re killing our future right here. You’re killing our future. This has to stop. These gun things have to stop,” said Tonya Baldwin, who grew up in West Englewood.
“I am very concerned about the children here in Engleud and the police officers who were shot and killed. It’s just so sad, “said Pastor James Cobb of Jesus Christ of Faith.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot wrote on Twitter about the shooting, saying in part: “My family and I will pray for the wounded officer and the entire department as they fight another heinous and deliberate attack on the lives of our officers. I asked the Superintendent to use all possible resources to find the person responsible for this attempted murder of a police officer and bring him to justice. “
I know of a Chicago police officer who was shot dead in District 7, and I have been in constant communication with Superintendent Brown since this scandalous attack on our officers. My family and I will pray for the wounded officer and the entire department
– Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) June 2, 2022
they are fighting another heinous and deliberate attack on the lives of our officers. I asked the chief to use all possible resources to find the person responsible for this attempted murder of a police officer and bring him to justice. Officers and detectives
– Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) June 2, 2022
work diligently 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 protect us. ”When we start the first day of the month on awareness of gun violence, it is
– Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) June 2, 2022
another example of why we need to have a deep sense of urgency and a sincere determination to free our streets from illegal weapons. We need to have federal legislative action. We must all be united against one of our common enemies: easy access to illegal weapons – period.
– Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) June 2, 2022
The shooting comes after a harsh weekend of Remembrance Day, during which all weekends were canceled for cops. Police said 250 weapons were removed from the streets over the holiday weekend, 75 on Remembrance Day alone.
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