(WTTW News)
Two men were wounded following an exchange of gunfire between a pair of Chicago police officers and another man outside a Pilsen storefront early Friday morning.
Three people are in custody following the shooting, according to Police Superintendent David Brown, while a fourth man allegedly involved is still being sought.
“This incident is a stark reminder of the dangers officers face each and every day at any given moment,” he said during a Friday afternoon press conference.
Brown said the officers were on their way to the police training academy when they drove past a group of four masked men standing outside a closed store in the 1000 block of West 18th Street just before 7 a.m.
The officers pulled over and when one of them identified himself as police, one of the men in the group allegedly pulled out a handgun and began firing shots. The officers then returned fire and two people on scene were struck.
A 23-year-old man was struck and hospitalized in serious condition, while a 35-year-old bystander was grazed in his leg. He was listed in good condition. Neither officer was wounded, though they were hospitalized for observation.
The suspect allegedly continued firing at police as he fled on foot and has not yet been located. Brown said officers are working “diligently” to locate and arrest him.
According to Brown, it’s unclear who shot the two men, though he said preliminary evidence appears to show the suspect fired at officers first, before they returned fire.
Two men, ages 20 and 23, were taken into custody by police for questioning after the shooting, as was a 17-year-old boy.
“This entire incident is under investigation and the use of force by the Chicago police officers involved is being investigated by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability,” Brown said.
So far this year, 36 Chicago officers have been shot at or shot this year. Brown said that is a record pace for the department.
“We’re seeing an extraordinarily, not only difficult job for our officers,” he said, “but an extraordinarily dangerous job for our officers.”
Contact Matt Masterson: @ByMattMasterson | [email protected] | (773) 509-5431
