April 05--A 34-year-old man was shot by police in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood Saturday afternoon, authorities said.
The man was shot in the legs by gang enforcement officers near the 6100 block of South Rockwell Street about 4:15 p.m., according to police. The shooting was confirmed by Larry Merritt, a spokesman for the Independent Police Review Authority.
Police were on Rockwell and went toward the man "to conduct a narcotics investigation," police said in a statement.
When an officer approached the man and identified himself, the man turned and pointed a handgun at him, according to the statement. The man fled but ran into two other officers and pointed the gun at them.
Officers then fired at the man, hitting him. A gun was found at the scene, police said.
The man was taken to an area hospital with gunshot wounds to the legs, and his condition had stabilized, according to the statement.
Police did not release information on where the man was being treated.
Police referred further questions to the IPRA, but IPRA officials do not answer questions about ongoing investigations into police shootings, and after confirming that the shooting took place, Merritt referred further questions to police.
