An off-duty Chicago Police Department officer was involved in a shootout during a reported attempted robbery early Tuesday in the Morgan Park neighborhood on the city's Far South Side. According to ABC7 Chicago, the incident unfolded around 5:34 a.m. in the 10800 block of Campbell Avenue, as the officer was about to head to work.
Alderman Matt O'Shea revealed the officer had been approached by gunmen as he was getting into his car. "Luckily the off-duty police officer, a neighbor and a friend, is okay," O'Shea said. Neighbors expressed their alarm, with one, Pat Poynton, admitting to bewilderment at the brazenness of the shooting. "It amazes me how people just stop cars and shoot. I just don't understand it," Poynton told ABC7 Chicago. The officer was able to return fire and the suspects hastily fled the scene.
No injuries were reported in the exchange of gunfire, but the confrontation has notably increased concerns among community members. "This could've been a nurse headed to the hospital, this could've been a teenager, heading out to a summer job," O'Shea added during his comments to ABC7 Chicago. Residents are now put on increased vigilance; the tranquility of a "very safe neighborhood" has been shaken, as underscored by Mary Sheridan, another neighbor. "It was something I've never heard before," she said, referring to the sound of the gunfire.
The aftermath of the altercation resulted in one arrest near the scene, and the officer involved was placed on a standard 30-day administrative duty, in alignment with protocol. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability, COPA, is actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the involvement of the officer in the shooting. The dark-colored sedan used by the suspects was later found, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times.
