An off duty Chicago police officer met two men online offering to sell him a computer and exchanged gunfire with them when they tried to rob in Hazel Crest Tuesday night, police say. Natalie Martinez reports.
An off duty Chicago police officer met two men online offering to sell him a computer and exchanged gunfire with them when they tried to rob in Hazel Crest Tuesday night, police say.
The police chief says it's an isolated incident and authorities know who they're looking for. Neighbors are still shaken by what happened.
Bullet holes from last night's chaos are visible in Betty Watkin's bedroom window.
"We don't hear nothing but bullets," she said. "I look out window and see young guy just laying there."
Hazel Crest police revisit neighbors on the normally quiet 3400 block of Birchwood Drive.
"We're in bed and all at once I heard pop, pop, pop, pop, pop," said witness John Smith Jr. "I said wait a minute, something's wrong."
An off duty Chicago police officer met two men online offering to sell him a computer and exchanged gunfire with them when they tried to rob in Hazel Crest Tuesday night, police say.
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While he was looking at the computer one subject pulled a gun," said Chief Mitchell Davis.
When one of the assailants rifled through the officer's pockets they discovered the officer's badge and gun.
Davis says before they could grab the officer's gun, the off-duty cop shot both of them. One fled and the other collapsed. One died and the other is still on the run.
Police are investigating the shootings as an armed robbery.
A parallel investigation by Illinois State Police is looking into the off-duty officer's the use of force.
"As far as we're concerned the officer is the victim in the whole process," Davis said.
Police tell NBC 5 the suspects are from a nearby suburb.
A woman who identifies herself as their mother says she's hired an attorney.
