Person of interest in custody after Cook County Sheriff's deputy fatally shot during attempted robbery

CHICAGO - A person of interest is in custody after an off-duty Cook County Sheriff's deputy was killed during an attempted robbery at a South Side gas station on Tuesday morning.

The victim was identified by the Cook County Medical Examiner's office as 31-year-old Rafael Wordlaw, of Chicago.

Chicago police said someone tried to rob Wordlaw around 1:30 a.m., when they started shooting at each other at a Woodlawn gas station in the 500 block of East 67th Street.

He was shot once in the chest and tried to drive away in his vehicle and crashed into a pole in the 6700 block of South Indiana Avenue.

Paramedics took him to the University of Chicago Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Wordlaw had a large extended family who participated in the procession of law enforcement vehicles from the University of Chicago Medical Center to the Cook County morgue.

His family said it was difficult, they cried the entire route, but he deserved the honor. His cousins said the officer was a hero and acted as one when he was killed.

Deputy Rafael Wordlaw | Provided

Wordlaw was a Cook County Corrections officer who worked at the jail.

The Cook County Sheriff's Office released the following statement:

"An off-duty Deputy was killed in a shooting incident early this morning in the 500 block of East 67th Street.

Please contact the Chicago Police Department for information about the investigation of the incident. Sheriff’s Office staff are with the Deputy’s family as well as with the Sheriff’s Office team to provide support and resources as they navigate this senseless tragedy."

Chicago police initially said the shootout stemmed from an argument between the off-duty officer and the suspect. After further investigation, police said the off-duty deputy was the target of an attempted robbery.

Area One detectives are investigating.