Retired Chicago cop shot on West Side during robbery attempt

CHICAGO - A retired Chicago police officer was shot in Lawndale over the weekend when he pulled a gun and exchanged fire with a pair of robbers, one of whom may also have been wounded.

Just after 4 p.m. Sunday, the 59-year-old retired cop was sitting in his car in the 3800 block of West Grenshaw Street when another car pulled up and two people jumped out and announced a robbery, Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan told reporters Monday. One of them was armed with a handgun.

After the robbers failed to get anything from the former officer, they turned their attention to his car, Deenihan said. At least one of the robbers then traded shots with the ex-cop.

The retired officer was hit in the arm and abdomen and was taken in good condition to Mount Sinai Medical Center, according to police.

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He left the police department in 2018, according to Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara, who said the officer "drew his weapon and returned fire" only after being shot.

The ex-cop was initially reported as the only person shot. But Deenihan noted Monday that investigators now "believe one of the suspects [was] struck as well," pointing to a person "who showed up at a hospital much later."

"We do not put that individual at the scene at this time," he said. "We believe this may be a person of interest based upon all the circumstantial information we have at this time. We still have a long way to go with that investigation."

No one was in custody, police said.