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Details are beginning to emerge after a Chicago police officer was shot and killed on the city’s Southwest Side on Wednesday afternoon.
According to Chicago Police Supt. David Brown, officers were called to a domestic dispute in the 5200 block of South Spaulding Avenue Wednesday for reports of a man chasing a woman down the street with a weapon.
When officers arrived, one group went to the front door of a residence, but a second squad car encountered the suspect in the case, according to police.
A confrontation followed, and shots were fired, with the suspect shooting a police officer multiple times. Brown says that officer returned fire, striking the suspect in the head.
The officer was transported to Mount Sinai, where he was pronounced dead. The suspect was also taken to a local hospital, where he is in critical condition.
Details on the officer’s identity were not immediately made available. Officials confirmed the officer was a five-year veteran of the force who had just marked his anniversary.
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The suspect, an 18-year-old man, has limited criminal history, according to police.
Brown says that the officer has family in other parts of the world, and they are still being notified about what occurred. He says the department will respect the family’s privacy in releasing information about the officer’s identity.
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“I ask that the city cover this officer’s family (in prayer),” Brown said. “This is a family of public servants, and as you can imagine, they are taking this tragedy very hard.”
The fatality is the first to occur in the line of duty since Detective Joseph Tripoli died in Jan. 2022 due to complications from COVID-19.
A total of 557 police officers have died in the line of duty while serving in the city of Chicago.
