April 28--A suspect fleeing police tried to throw his gun onto a roof, but it hit a wall instead and went off, hitting an officer in the shoulder, prosecutors said Thursday.
The officer's partner kept chasing Rafael Martir-Ubiles, 25, Monday afternoon and cornered him in a gangway in the 2300 block of South Trumbull Avenue, where the officer used a Taser twice to subdue him, prosecutors said.
Martir-Ubiles appeared in court Thursday, charged with aggravated battery to a police officer, aggravated assault of a police officer, resisting an officer and unlawful possession of firearm by a gang member, police said.
Judge Peggy Chiampas ordered him held without bail.
Martir-Ubiles and two others were walking east on 24th Street around 4:15 p.m. Monday when the two officers noticed that Martir-Ubiles appeared to have a gun. He was holding his left side and there was a bulge in his shirt, prosecutors said.
The officers stopped their SUV in front of the three, and Martir-Ubiles ran, prosecutors said. As they chased him down the alley, Martir-Ubiles "pulled a .45-caliber handgun from his waistband with his right hand and attempted to throw the gun on the roof of a nearby apartment building," prosecutors said in a statement.
The gun hit the wall instead and fell to the ground. It discharged and a bullet went through one of the officer's right shoulder. The other officer continued to chase Martir-Ubiles and arrested him in a gangway.
The wounded officer was treated at Stroger Hospital and released later that day, police said.
Prosecutors said Martir-Ubiles, affiliated with the Latin Kings street gang, admitted to throwing away the gun during the chase. He lives in the 2400 block of South St. Louis Avenue, about a block from the shooting.
