March 15--The first call for help comes from a cop fighting to catch his breath: "Shots fired at the police and by the police."
"You have the air," a dispatcher answers back, clearing the channel.
Over the next few minutes, officers and supervisors scramble to understand just what happened in the 3700 block of West Polk Avenue on Monday night, at times cutting each other off in rapid bursts as they learn first that one officer was shot, then two, then three during a gunbattle with a suspect who was killed.
"I think I have an officer shot, squad, officer shot," the officer says, just 15 seconds after first radioing in.
A minute passes and an officer on the scene tells the dispatcher, "We need an ambulance, offender's down, weapon's recovered. I have possibly two officers shot."
It is nearly 9:47 p.m. It would be another 20 minutes before the dispatcher is told a third officer was shot. In the meantime, ambulances are scrambled as the dispatcher works to get an accurate address.
"What's the location?" she asks. Then seconds later, "I need a location. ... What's the numbers on Polk? ... Give me a good location."
Shortly after 9:47 p.m., an officer tells the dispatcher, "3716 West on Polk," correcting an earlier address.
"3716 West on Polk, 10-4."
Seconds later, responding officers are ordered to get their cars off Polk Street to clear the way for ambulances. Within about two minutes, officers are clearing a path toward Stroger Hospital where the three officers will be brought.
"Get these cars out of the street, clear a path."
"Clear a path!"
"Every car that's on Polk needs to start moving and clear it out for the ambulance."
"61, move your car!"
"Get the ambulance here."
"71, move your car!"
About six minutes after the shooting, Stroger Hospital is notified of the impending arrivals. "Call Stroger, Lupe, let 'em know we got one ... male Hispanic, 33 years old, gunshot wound to the middle of the back," the wounded officer's sergeant tells the dispatcher.
About two minutes later, the Eisenhower Expressway is cleared from Independence Boulevard to Damen Avenue. A police helicopter is hovering overhead, monitoring the expressway.
Another minute passes and around 10:06 p.m., the first ambulance arrives at Stroger with the officer hit in the back, the most seriously wounded of the three. One of the other officers was shot in the foot and the third was hit in the chest, possibly in his bulletproof vest.
"I'm headed to the hospital with my guys," a sergeant tells the dispatcher. "Uh, right now you're gonna have to find somebody to handle that crime scene. Kinda chaotic right now."
The officers, all veterans with about 10 to 12 years on the force, are expected to survive, authorities said.
