Man fatally shot in struggle over gun during Harvey traffic stop
HARVEY, Ill. - A 30-year-old Chicago man died after his gun went off during a struggle with two state troopers during a traffic stop Wednesday in Harvey, according to the Illinois State Police.
Neither trooper involved had discharged their weapon during the 12:30 a.m. incident in a parking lot in the south suburb, state police said in a statement.
Two state troopers pulled over a vehicle for not using headlights in the 14700 block of Halsted Street and noticed a gun in the waistband of passenger Darren Green Jr. as he climbed into the driver’s seat, which had been vacated by a 21-year-old woman who had stepped out of the vehicle, state police said.
One trooper began fighting with him over the gun and Green started to drive away, dragging both troopers, state police said. The gun went off, striking Green, and the vehicle, which was still carrying a 29-year-old woman and 8-year-old girl in the back seat, came to rest at a bus stop.
Green was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead, state police said.
An autopsy found he died of a gunshot wound to the head and ruled his death a homicide, the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.
Neither officer was struck by gunfire, but both were taken to a local hospital, where they were treated and released, state police said.
The two troopers have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation.