Chicago cop who shot, critically wounded 13-year-old on West Side relieved of police powers

CHICAGO - A Chicago police officer who was involved in a shooting Wednesday night that left a 13-year-old critically wounded has been relieved of police powers while Chicago's police oversight agency conducts an investigation, the department said Friday.

On Wednesday at about 10:14 p.m., members of CPD's Vehicle Hijacking Task Force Team were trying to stop a vehicle that was wanted for a carjacking in Oak Park a day earlier. 

A 13-year-old boy got out of the car and ran in the 800 block of North Cicero Avenue, police said.

Police Supt. David Brown, during a brief media availability Thursday evening, said the fleeing teenager turned toward the officer, and the officer fired their weapon.

No shots were fired at the officer, Brown said.

Brown said he did not know where on his body the child was hit. The superintendent also wouldn’t say how many rounds were fired or whether the boy had his hands up.

Reacting to video showing police dragging the boy after he was shot, Brown said officers moved the boy over concerns gunfire may have struck gas pumps that could have "burst into flames."

Officers rendered aid to the boy at the scene. He remains in serious but stable condition at Stroger, where he is being held in custody "for the stolen car," Brown said. He did not elaborate, and no charges have been announced.

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The Civilian Office of Police Accountability said the officer's body camera was activated during the shooting. They also possess third-party and POD video of the incident. But because the shooting involves a juvenile, COPA said it is prohibited by law from making the video public under a city policy that requires most video be released within 60 days.

The Honda Accord was initially stolen Monday night after it was left running in the 100 block of West Randolph Street, Brown said. It was later used in a carjacking the following night in Oak Park, when someone in a black face mask stole a Honda CR-V left running with a 3-year-old inside near Lake Street and Oak Park Avenue, according to Brown.

The boy’s mother grabbed onto the SUV and was dragged to the ground, breaking her clavicle. The 3-year-old was found unharmed about 15 minutes later in the car, which had been abandoned in the 200 block of Madison Street, Oak Park police said.

The carjacker was seen getting into the other Honda, which Brown said set off automatic license plate readers in Chicago throughout Wednesday and came under surveillance of a police helicopter.

According to radio traffic, the helicopter pilot and a dispatcher repeatedly asked whether any officers on the ground were pursuing the car. There is some confusion as officers close in and a 10-1 is called, code for officer in distress.

A dispatcher at first says "shots fired at the police," but then says "shots fired by the police" as officers chased a suspect from the car. But as Brown and others later confirmed, there was no gunfire at officers.

Brown said the wounded boy appeared to be involved in the Monday and Tuesday incidents as well, but offered no details.