Chicago shooting: CPD cop and suspect are recovering after both were shot by the same bullet in Englewood, officials say

CHICAGO (WLS) – A Chicago police officer continues to recover Friday after he was injured along with a suspect in a dispute over a gun, police said.

Both the officer and the suspect were injured in the lower body when the teenage suspect’s gun went off during a struggle.

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Chicago police said 7th District officers stopped what they called a 16-year-old boy in front of neighbors in the 5600 block of South Shields Avenue about 12:30 a.m. Thursday.

According to police, an argument ensued over a gun in the boy’s waistband and a single shot was fired from the teen’s gun. Both the officer and the suspect sustained injuries to their lower bodies.

“The gun was discharged accidentally and hit the person in the groin area. It is believed that the same bullet also struck the officer in the leg,” Snelling said.

Officials said the wounded officer, hired by CPD in 2018, was taken here to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition.

“This is an extremely dangerous task. When we look at people armed with weapons, any of these encounters can end in deadly force on both sides, so lives are always at risk when officers encounter people armed with weapons.” “They are illegally carrying weapons.” said CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling. “So we need to make sure that we get the message out to people to cooperate with officers, but we also need to get the message out so that everyone understands the danger that officers face every day when they encounter armed individuals.”

The injured teen was also taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also spoke at the afternoon news conference at the hospital.

“The work that our law enforcement does every day takes a lot of bravery and courage and we’re grateful for that, you know, and we have too many people who have access to guns and that’s something that’s not the case. “It’s just a citywide problem, but it’s a national problem,” Johnson said.

Police have not yet said why officers initially stopped the teen as the Civilian Office of Police Accountability is investigating the incident.

“We make sure to ask questions immediately at the scene, without our third investigative panel,” Snelling said.

“COPA was notified and responded to the scene of an officer-involved incident that resulted in the discharge of a weapon in the 5600 block of South Shields and initiated a preliminary investigation,” COPA said in a statement.