CHICAGO — City officials on Wednesday released surveillance video and other material related to a shootout that ensued after a gunman robbed an off-duty Chicago police officer in Washington Park on Nov. 24. No injuries were reported during the incident and no arrests were announced. .
One of the videos released by COPA, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, clearly shows what happened when the 34-year-old officer entered a home in the 100 block of East 57th Street around 1:51 a.m. on Nov. 24.
As the officer prepares to put her key in the door, she looks to her right and seems to immediately realize that trouble is brewing. As she hurriedly enters the building, a gunman runs up the stairs with a gun pointed in her direction.
The robber approaches the officer and appears to take something from her, but she is off camera and what exactly happened cannot be determined from the footage.
Within a few seconds the robber flees. The officer steps back out of the building and eight or nine muzzle flashes can be seen coming from her gun, which is pointed in the robber’s direction of flight.
Here is an excerpt from the most informative video released by COPA. The full video and all material released by investigators can be seen here.
The officer called 911 to report the incident and said someone “came at me as I entered the house.” She told the 911 operator she only saw one robber, but a CPD report released by COPA shows three perpetrators were involved.
A police statement issued shortly after the incident said that “at least one additional perpetrator fired shots in the direction of the off-duty officer during the shootout.”
COPA released a second video on Wednesday showing three or four people walking on the street near the officer’s home. The footage was shot from a distance, so it is difficult to determine how they were involved in the incident.
An online database of CPD personnel shows the officer is 34 years old and joined the force in April 2022.
COPA continues to investigate the officer’s use of force, while CPD oversees the investigation into the robbery.
Original reporting you won’t see anywhere else, paid for by our readers. Click here to support our work.
