February 13, 2012

Chicago cop kills man trying to run him over

Suspect reportedly rammed officer's garage door with van

By James Scalzitti
Chicago Sun-Times

CHICAGO — A man was shot dead by an off-duty Chicago Police officer Saturday morning after he allegedly tried to run the officer over with a van he used to ram into the officer's garage.

About 7 a.m., the officer was at home with his wife in the 7900 block of South Jeffrey Boulevard when he heard a crashing sound, police News Affairs Officer John Mirabelli said.

The officer put on a police shirt, grabbed his gun and he and his wife drove around the block and into the alley, where they saw two men in a white van, Fraternal Order of Police spokesman Pat Camden said. The van's driver was attempting to force the garage door open by ramming it with the van, he said.

The officer parked his car behind the van, announced he was a police officer and told the men they were under arrest, Camden said.

That prompted the van's driver to back up and drive into the officer's car, which his wife was still sitting in, knocking the officer to the ground, Camden said. The driver then aimed the vehicle at the officer and the officer shot the man, Camden said.

The man, who was initially taken to a local hospital in serious to critical condition, died, according to a spokeswoman for the Cook County medical examiner's office.

The other man in the van jumped out of the van and ran off, Camden said.

The officer suffered injuries to his leg when he was knocked down and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, Camden sad. The Independent Police Review Authority, which investigates all police-involved shootings, was investigating, as were detectives.