What started as a neighborhood fight on a quiet Morgan Park block early Sunday ended with a Chicago police officer and two civilians shot, an 18-year-old and a 35-year-old hospitalized, and multiple investigations now underway.
Police say the officer, who was struck in the chest, was saved by his protective vest and has since been treated and released. The incident is being handled as an officer-involved shooting and has triggered both civilian and internal departmental reviews.
At 12:54 a.m., officers from the Morgan Park (22nd) District responded to a disturbance in the 11400 block of South Davol Street, near Steuben, where they found two men in the middle of an altercation, according to CBS Chicago. In audio of police radio calls published by the station, a dispatcher relayed that a caller reported a neighbor had come to their door with a gun.
Chicago police said a 35-year-old man's firearm discharged as officers tried to pull the two apart, hitting both an officer and an 18-year-old, according to FOX 32 Chicago. A second officer then returned fire, wounding the 35-year-old and unintentionally striking the teenager as well, the station reported. The department's Investigative Response Team was called to the scene to process evidence.
The 18-year-old was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in fair condition, while the 35-year-old suspect was transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn and also listed in fair condition, CBS Chicago reports. The officer, whose name has not been released, was treated at a nearby hospital and discharged. As of Sunday morning, police had not announced any arrests or charges, and the case remains under active investigation.
Investigations Under Way
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability said it is responding to the officer-involved shooting and is urging anyone with video or information to call 312-746-3609 or visit ChicagoCOPA.org. COPA will conduct an independent civilian review while Chicago police handle their internal probe.
Under department policy, the officers who fired their weapons will be placed on routine administrative duties for at least 30 days while body-worn camera recordings and other evidence are reviewed, according to FOX 32 Chicago. That means the key players in Sunday morning's chaos will be off street duty while investigators sort out exactly how a breakup attempt turned into a three-person shooting.
Morgan Park's Recent Violence
The shooting comes amid a run of violence in Morgan Park this year. Local reporting has documented several late-night shootings in the neighborhood in recent months, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, along with a fatal attack that has kept concerns about safety front and center for many residents.
Neighbors and community leaders on the Far South Side have repeatedly raised alarms about late-night confrontations and disputes that spill from social media into the street. Sunday's incident is likely to fuel more debate over how both the city and the community are handling simmering tensions in the area.
Officials again urged anyone with information or video related to the shooting to contact the Civilian Office of Police Accountability at 312-746-3609 or through ChicagoCOPA.org. While COPA leads the independent review, the Chicago Police Department's Investigative Response Team continues to gather evidence and interview witnesses.
