A 21-year-old reputed gang member out on parole on a weapons charge was killed by police Tuesday night after he opened fire on an officer on a Rogers Park street.
About 8 p.m., two uniformed officers from the Belmont Area Mission Team, riding in a marked car, saw a 21-year-old man at Lakewood and Pratt Avenues in the Rogers Park neighborhood, police News Affairs Deputy Director Pat Camden said.
"As he sees the police car he turns around and starts walking in the opposite direction," Camden said. The officers call him to the car and "he immediately starts running west on Pratt," Camden said.
The officer in the passenger seat of the car got out and began running after the man, Camden said. "About a quarter of the way down on Pratt, he fires a shot at the police officer," Camden said. The officer took cover and the man took off running again, at which point the officer resumed the chase.
The man then fired two more shots at the officer, and the officer returned fire, striking and killing the man, Camden said.
A Chicago Fire Department ambulance responded to the scene at 1321 W. Pratt Ave., according to a fire department dispatcher, but the man was dead on the scene, Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford said.
Just prior to the shooting of the man, police had issued a 10-1 call -- for an officer needing assistance -- for shots being fired at police.
No officers were injured, Camden said. Langford also said there were no ambulance transports nor any other reported injuries from the scene.
The man who was shot was a "self-admitted Gangster Disciple," Camden said, who was on parole for a charge of unlawful use of a weapon. Police were not releasing the man's identity as of 10:30 p.m., until they were certain his next of kin had been notified.
The police Office of Professional Standards is investigating the incident and a roundtable discussion will be held to determine if the use of deadly force was warranted.
28 comments:
Neighbor thinking of moving when lease is up.
Neighbor says, "Poor kid."
The Tribune reports these two neighbor accounts....
* Jeffrey Black, who lives on the 1300 block of West Pratt, said he was in his kitchen when he heard a burst of gunfire and saw that person lying on the ground in front of the house next door.
* A bullet pierced Lourdes Friedman's front window and became lodged in her sofa cushion. She said she and her husband were watching the Cubs game in their living room when they heard shots. A police officer standing behind a tree in their front yard motioned for her to get away from the window.
So much for our "quiet" summer. Those of you citing the problems over at Pratt need to show up at next month's 2431 CAPs meeting. If no one reports these issues at the meeting, they don't get discussed, addressed, etc...
Last week I witnessed a man who failed to stop when directed to do so by the police. Failure to stop will result in being handcufed, arested and in this case shot dead.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-070619police-shoot,1,2398511.story?coll=chi-news-hed
This story has the identity of the man killed. He was not from this neighborhood.
Many people complain that the police don't respond or do enough to stop crime in RP. Shouldn't we be glad that at least in this instance, our beat cops were paying attention to this guy? Whatever he was doing here, by all accounts he fired at them first.
I am thankful that our cops responded quickly and no innocent bystanders were hurt.
About 8 p.m., two uniformed officers from the Belmont Area Mission Team, riding in a marked car, saw a 21-year-old man at Lakewood and Pratt Avenues in the Rogers Park neighborhood, police News Affairs Deputy Director Pat Camden said.
That doesn't sound like Beat 2431 officers to me.
I don't think anyone is criticizing the police in this instance. To me, it's always a shame when someone throws their life away as did this young man, but the police have to defend themselves and the community from violence of this sort.
Even if he didn't live here, he most likely knew people who do. Why was he here? I don't see the major point to the fact that he didn't live here. What does that mean to you? That this was a fluke?
I stand corrected...that the officers who were following him weren't from here either.
That's the big question isn't it - why was he here? What were officers from the Belmont Area Mission Team doing here? I hope those questions are being investigated, if he was meeting up with other gang members who do live here.
I guess it would seem more like a fluke if not for the fact that a google search for "rogers park shooting" brings up a number of different stories of gunfire in our neighborhood.
Boy it sure is "safer" in RP these days - Crime sure seems to be down - I guess Joe Moore was telling the truth during the election after all ......
Maybe crime reporting is up????
RPBooster (retired)
Wantstoknow said, "Whatever he was doing here, by all accounts he fired at them first."
Yet, from what I've read and heard on the news, only the police are saying that. Why were officers from the Belmont Mission in Rogers Park in the first place? Since when does walking down the street constitute suspicious behavior? OK, he changed direction when he saw them. As an "admitted gang member" wouldn't he naturally want to avoid the police? I'm not saying the police involved did anything wrong, I'm just suggesting we hold judgement until we find out if there was another witness who can back up what the officers are saying. I'm also not suggesting they had no reason for being in Rogers Park, I would just appreciate it if someone would tell us why they were here. A man lost his life last night. I hope we don't lose sight of that fact and I hope we get the full story before it is all simply forgotten.
fargo woman:
some people are tired of being suspicious of the police and second guessing all their actions.
some people do not think that the loss of life is always such a bad thing.
this guy has committed crimes in the past. if he had a gun in our neighborhood, then good riddance!
i will be glad there is one less bad guy until someone proves the cops planted a gun!
Sadly, these "gangsters" don't view their life and are trained not to see themselves as living past this age. They are like the Middle east teenage boys who blow themselves up, they are indoctrined from childhood. While the fake gangsters Snoop, 50 Cents and Bin Ladin live the good life. Too bad they don't know the joke is on them.
Bang, bang
Hey Joc, ah where's the man in your new photo? Any hot gossip to share with us about your private life? Ah c'mon, no one is reading this...
fargowoman, maybe be changed direction when he saw the police because he was carrying a gun, more than likely a violation of his parole. Clearly there's more to the story, if there were police from another area of the city looking askance at the guy. I hope we do get the rest of the details from the police, media, whoever.
As it stands, I'm in agreement with Isaac Marshall on this one.
Some have asked why we have extra officers? The police department's Belmont Area Headquarters serves our 24th Police District. They and other Tactical Teams are here in Rogers Park all the time. Why? Because bad guys are here to sell drugs on our streets, recruit youths to join the tough crime organizations they operate, and they carry guns with intent to use them.
Thank Commander Rottner and all the other officers for calling for extra resources and paying attention to crime here!
Oh Dot- I just decided to be an individual and have my little peacemaker dog with me. Steve and I are quite secure thank you :o)
Plus I got a new wig and wanted to show it off! Like it?
To Morse ave group- He WAS NOT shot because he failed to stop for the police. He was shot because he pulled out a gun and SHOT AT THE POLICE! Big difference.
Michael, thanks for your explanation about the Belmont Area Mission officers. So am I understanding correctly - some of those officers work the 49th ward regularly along with our beat officers, all as part of the 24th district? As opposed to officers who may have tracked this guy here from elsewhere?
Each Area Headquarters has a Mission Team. The Mission Teams assigned to those Area Headquarters go where the statistics indicate they are needed. Today it may be the 23rd District, tommorrow it may be the 19th District and on another day it may be the 24th District, but they will be somewhere in Area 3 of which the 24th Distict is part of. They are not assigned to a specific political wards.
Big Daddy's note is essentially correct. However, the statistics have resulted in sending extra police teams to our community for a long time. They've been here on a regular basis for years. I wish there was only a sporadic or occasional need for the extra plain clothes officers, but that is not the case.
michael, just to clarify, these were uniforms not plainclothes.
This whole thing blows. We live on that block of Lakewood and this on top of some serious problems we have with the building next door are have convinced my wife we should leave the neighborhood.
Me, I grew up on the 1000(!) block of W Pratt (and later over on Bosworth). I'd like to stay. But there are kids to think of.
We've got CRIMINAL ATTENTION here from more than a few homegrown gang bangers doing their business. We've got more than a few who travel from afar to ply their trade in our community, like this dead man.
We've got regular and lots of POLICE ATTENTION here: our 24th Police District Officers, Belmont Area Mission Teams, plainclothes Tactical Unit Teams, Bike Patrol Teams, maybe more.
What's also needed is COMMUNITY ATTENTION here. One route is on the CAPS website - http://www.caps24.org/
Beat 2432 Boundaries: Devon to Pratt - Ridge to Lake Michigan.
Beat 2432 - All meetings 1st Tuesday of Month @ 24th District Police Station (6464 N. Clark St.) @ 7:00 p.m.
Next 2432 Beat meeting on July 3.
Joc you can keep the wig, I'm buying a gun.
Fargo Woman says only the police say the gangbanger fired first, she is suspicious of why extra officers are in Rogers Park and then questions the officer's actions for wanting to stop and talk to this guy yesterday. You are so willing to second guess and flat out doubt the officer's actions but you have no questions about the gangbanger actions? So let me get this straight...the copper gets shot at, returns fire and mortally wounds the offender. He gets to go home to his family, as does his partner, but with the terrible actions of the day hanging over him (for the rest of his life). And you want to question his actions?
Don't insult the officer and then say you are not judging him. That's like running a red light and saying "Oh sorry."
THE GANGBANGER WAS ON YOUR STREET WITH A GUN. The experience of the officer told him something was not right with the guy and attempted to figure out why. Well, the gangbanger told him why...he had a gun and he clearly, clearly was not afraid to use it.
When people like Fargo Woman stand up and say NO to human garbage like this the world will be a much better place. Until then, enjoy being robbed and taken advantage of at every opportunity.
I admit I am jaded because of the abuse of power I have seen too many times in this city by members of its police force. However, I do not see wanting to wait for further evidence as an insult. I see it as not rushing to judgement - for or against either side. For the record, I personally do believe the loss of life is a very bad thing. I do not confuse that sentiment with the idea that in a situation, such as this, it may well have been kill or be killed. Like I said, if it was a justified (meaning in self defense) shooting, then I thank God the officer prevailed.
I understand further evidence (another bullet hole in another window) does seem to bear out the officers' story. Michael Harrington's explaination of why officers from the Belmont Mission were in Rogers Park certainly explains their presence. Looks like I might be getting what I was asking for - answers to my questions.
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