Off-duty CPD officer shot on South Side; 2nd officer shot since Sunday

An off-duty Chicago police officer was shot March 15 in the Calumet Heights neighborhood.

An off-duty Chicago police officer was in surgery after two gunmen ambushed him at a red light Monday in Calumet Heights on the South Side.

He was the second CPD officer shot this week.

The 32-year-old officer was in his personal vehicle, stopped at a traffic light at 89th Street and Stony Island Avenue, when two gunman came up and fired into his vehicle, CPD Supt. David Brown told reporters after the shooting.

Officers found the officer shot in his lower torso about 12:20 p.m. and rushed him in a squad car to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was in surgery, Brown said. The officers performed first aid on the officer on the way to the hospital, CPD spokesman Tom Ahern said.

The officer — a four-year CPD veteran who works in the 4th District — was alert after he was shot, according to Brown, who said there wasn’t enough information to determine his condition.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot arrived at the hospital just before 3 p.m., after wrapping up an unrelated news conference.

“Of course, I’m with the police. They have a very, very difficult job. They’re one of the few city employees that actually run towards danger. And we can never underestimate the difficulties of the stresses that they face every single day. They’re providing assistance to the residents of our city at a time of their greatest need and they’re, as a consequence, seeing incredible trauma and stress,” the mayor said before leaving for the hospital.

“I’ve been in contact with the superintendent, who’s been updating me on the officer’s condition. He’s undergoing surgery. And I will get to the hospital and meet with the family.”

Brown said the circumstances of the shooting were still unclear and couldn’t confirm a rumor that the officer was shot in a carjacking.

“We heard rumors of a carjacking but we don’t know yet,” Brown said. “It’s too early to tell.”

Brown said investigators were searching for video and witnesses to aid in the search for the shooters.

At the scene of the shooting, police taped off a Jeep and placed an evidence marker near what appeared to be a shell casing.

He was second CPD officer shot and wounded in as many days.

On Sunday, an on-duty Chicago police sergeant was shot while standing in the parking lot of the Gresham District police station, at 7808 S. Halsted St. The bullet grazed his chin. The officer was treated at a hospital and released later that day.

CPD Supt. David Brown said at the time that that sergeant was the first officer struck by gunfire this year, though he said that 12 others had been shot at. Brown said 79 officers were shot at in 2020, and 10 of them were hit.

“We ask that you all keep our officers and their families in your prayers,” Brown said Monday.

Contributing: Madeline Kenney, Fran Spielman

An evidence marker was placed at the scene of a CPD officer shot March 15, 2021, in the 8900 block of South Stony Island Avenue.