Armed Robbers Shoot at Off-Duty Chicago Police Officer in Loop
CHICAGO — In a disturbing incident, armed robbers fired shots at an off-duty Chicago police officer in the Loop on Saturday morning. Reports suggest that the same group of robbers also targeted another victim in River North, firing shots during a robbery attempt. The Chicago Police Department is currently investigating the incidents.
Details of the Incident
At around 3:50 a.m., the off-duty officer reported to 911 that individuals in a red Nissan had shot at her vehicle during a robbery near Polk and Federal in the Loop. The officer drove to the Central (1st) District station in the South Loop to file a report. It is unclear at this time whether the officer returned fire. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) has initiated an investigation into the matter.
Upon investigation, shell casings were found on West Polk, and the officer’s car displayed a bullet hole in the rear driver’s side door. Additionally, a resident in a high-rise building reported a bullet piercing their apartment window in the 700 block of South State. Although no injuries were reported, a witness mentioned seeing a man with a gunshot wound to his hand leaving the area.
Prior to the shooting, the CPD’s vehicular hijacking task force alerted officers in downtown Chicago about a maroon Nissan Maxima and a black Infiniti sedan, both stolen vehicles, traveling through the Loop. The red Nissan used in the robbery attempt was later found abandoned near La Rabida Children’s Hospital.
Approximately 25 minutes before the off-duty officer was targeted, a group of individuals reported being robbed at gunpoint by two masked men in a red sedan near Clark and Ohio in River North. The robbers took a phone from one of the victims and followed their vehicle into the Loop, where they discharged at least one round near State and Randolph streets. Thankfully, no injuries were sustained in this incident.
Suspected Connection
Investigators now believe that the robbery in River North and the attack on the off-duty officer are connected, as both involved similar modus operandi. Despite initial differences in suspect descriptions provided by the victims, authorities are leaning towards the theory that the same group of robbers was responsible for both incidents.
