CHICAGO () — Residents and community activists in Chicago’s Little Village are demanding criminal charges against an off-duty Chicago police officer following a shooting that wounded two men and left bullets scattered across a neighborhood block.
Evidence of the gunfire was still visible Tuesday on 24th Street between Washtenaw and Rockwell avenues. Bullets struck a vehicle and a nearby residence.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability said the incident began early Oct. 4 with a verbal exchange between the off-duty officer and someone in a group gathered along the block. According to COPA, the officer fired several shots, drove east toward South Rockwell, got out of the vehicle and then fired more rounds from two firearms at the area where the initial confrontation occurred.
COPA said one person was hit by gunfire, while another suffered injuries connected to the incident. Video recorded by third parties captured both shooting sequences, the agency said.
The Chicago Police Department said a man from the group physically confronted the officer and punched him in the face before the first shots were fired. COPA did not include that allegation in its preliminary statement released Tuesday.
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Members of the Little Village Community Council returned Thursday to distribute flyers and call on the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office to file attempted murder charges. They also urged the Chicago Police Department to fire the officer.
“He should not be in our streets,” said Chela Garcia of the Little Village Community Council.
“We have an officer that is a rogue officer, an officer that doesn’t follow procedures, who fails to understand that there are laws,” said Baltazar Enriquez of the Little Village Community Council.
COPA’s investigation is ongoing. The officer has been placed on administrative leave, in line with department policy.
Anyone with information is asked to contact COPA at 312-746-3609 or submit information through https://www.chicagocopa.org/.
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