Chicago SWAT officer fatally shoots barricaded gunman who opened fire at police
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CHICAGO — The Civilian Office of Police Accountability released bodycam videos from Chicago police officers showing the fatal shooting of a gunman during a hostage situation last April in the West Lawn neighborhood.
Police officers responded to a call of a domestic disturbance around 1:15 p.m. on April 3 in the 4200 block of West Ford City Drive.
Initially, police found a 48-year-old woman who had been shot in the neck.
"My guy just shot me," the woman tells a 911 operator in recordings released Tuesday by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability. "Please come now. I’ve been shot in my neck. I can’t feel my arms."
"You say he’s gonna kill himself?" the operator asks the woman, who replies, "Yeah."
After a moment, the woman can be heard saying, "Baby, I love you… Baby, I love you."
Police said when SWAT arrived to the Southwest Side apartment near the Ford City Mall, the suspected shooter Frank Campbell barricaded himself inside.
"Help me please. He’s in the back," the woman tells officers as she lies on the floor with a gunshot wound to her neck, the videos show. She tells the officers her boyfriend’s name.
"Frank Campbell, come out with your hands up," an officer says.
As police turn a corner, a wounded man can be seen lying in a dark hallway, then flashes of gunfire as Campbell fires two shots but doesn’t hit anyone. The gunfire sends officers retreating into the hallway, where they continued to speak with Campbell and awaited a SWAT team.
Almost two hours passed between the initial gunfire from Campbell and SWAT police opening fire, fatally striking Campbell. Although police body cameras captured the initial shooting, the SWAT team was not wearing cameras and the shooting that killed Campbell was only partially recorded on body cameras.
The officers’ cameras did record audio of the final negotiations before SWAT team opened fire and fatally struck Campbell.
A SWAT team member can be heard talking to Campbell, asking him to put the gun down and surrender himself.
"Lay the gun down and come on out. Please. Come on man. I respect you," a SWAT team members says.
"No don't do that man," the officer can be heard saying. "No don't do that. Don't do that, Frank. Put the gun down, Frank."
The officer then fired five shots and police began rendering medical aid.
It’s unclear if Campbell had raised his revolver, according to the video and documents shared by COPA.
Campbell, 58, was brought to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead.
Suspect killed by police, two victims wounded in hostage situation near Ford City Mall in Chicago
Initially, police found a woman, 48, who had been shot in the neck. The suspect was barricaded inside a condo complex and fired shots at police, though no officers were injured. Around 4 p.m. on Sunday, police reported that police had shot the suspect and taken that person into custody. A second victim – a male hostage, 78 – who had been shot by the offender was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Nate Rodgers reports.
A second victim – a 78-year-old man – who had been shot by the offender was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
Both people who were shot by the suspect survived, according to COPA.
Chicago police said the suspect's gun was recovered at the scene.
No police officers were hurt during the incident.
The officers involved in the shooting were placed on administrative duties for at least 30 days, per departmental policy.
SWAT members are not equipped with body-worn cameras, so the shooting was only partially captured by a Chicago police officer's body-worn camera.
COPA released nearly six hours of bodycam video from the shooting along with several incident reports. COPA is still investigating the details of this incident and will release a summary report once completed.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.