2 Chicago police officers shot, recovering and in good condition: 'These are brave people'
CHICAGO - Two Chicago police officers were shot Sunday morning on Chicago's West Side.
Police say the shooting occurred in the 1500 block of South Lawndale.
Chicago Police Supt. David Brown said officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert at 7:19 a.m. at 1400 South Lawndale.
When the two officers arrived, Brown said they noticed a person in a vacant alley nearby.
As they approached the individual, the offender turned and immediately began firing a gun at the officers.
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Brown said one of the officers was shot in the hand, and the second officer was shot in the leg and in the shoulder above his vest.
Both officers were transported to Mount Sinai Hospital.
Additionally, both officers are stable, recovering and in good condition, according to Supt. Brown.
A suspect was shot as well in the lower extremities. Police say the suspect is recovering and in stable condition.
"This offender had no regard for their position as police officers," Supt. Brown said. "No regard. And began trying to kill them. Let's be clear. This offender turned and immediately tried to kill these officers, by firing a gun and hitting both of them."
Supt. Brown said video will be collected and he hopes that by viewing the video and other materials, people will get an understanding of just how quickly these incidents happen.
"These are brave people," Supt. Brown said. "These are people who are sworn to protect all of the people of Chicago, and they take this oath knowing that they're putting their lives at risk to save other lives."
The officers were released from the hospital later Sunday morning. They will both be placed on administrative leave for 30 days.
The Chicago Office of Police Accountability is investigating the shooting.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot attended the news conference as well and said both of the officers were in uniform and readily identifiable.
"Thankfully, none of the injuries are life-threatening," said Lightfoot. "But it just underscores the danger that our men and women in the police department face every single day. They run the danger to protect us."
She mentioned that one of the paramedics from the Chicago Fire Department who graduated on Friday was part of the team that cared for the officers who were shot.
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Following remarks made by Lightfoot and the Superintendent, CPD spokesperson Tom Ahern said both officers who were shot are males and have been on the job for about "three or four years."
Ahern also shared a photo on Twitter of the offender's gun recovered at the scene.
In 2021, 29 officers have been shot at or shot. In the last 15 months, 108 officers have been shot at or shot, Supt. Brown said.