Early Tuesday, officers from the Chicago Police Department engaged a man believed to be armed in an alley in the 5600-block of South Michigan Avenue in Chicago’s Washington Park neighborhood. After the man failed to follow verbal commands, a police officer discharged a firearm, striking the suspect. He was taken to hospital with injuries originally deemed critical, though his condition was later upgraded to stable. The involved officers have been reassigned to administrative duties as the Civilian Office of Police Accountability opens an investigation.
Encounter escalates after pursuit
At approximately 11:50 a.m., police officers attempted to stop a male suspect who was believed to be carrying a handgun in the Washington Park area. When the individual fled into an alley, officers pursued. According to a department spokesperson, verbal commands were issued and ignored before at least one officer fired a shot. The suspect was struck and transported by fire-rescue personnel to the University of Chicago Medical Center. Despite earlier reports indicating a critical condition, his status was later reported as stable.
Scene, injuries and procedural response
Investigators cordoned off the alley with crime-scene tape and a command van from the Chicago Police Department remained on site during the evidence collection. One officer involved was also transported to a hospital for precautionary evaluations but was not seriously injured. Under department protocols, the officers involved have been placed on routine administrative reassignment pending the outcome of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability’s inquiry.
Oversight and next steps
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) has taken charge of the officer-involved shooting investigation. They have requested anyone with information regarding the incident to contact their offices. The re-assignment of officers and the active investigation reflect the city’s ongoing efforts to ensure transparency and accountability in police-involved use-of-force incidents.
