A highly-decorated Chicago police officer with 11 years on the force was released from the hospital early Monday morning, hours after being grazed in the head by a bullet while executing a search warrant on the city's south side.
Six people were taken into custody for questioning and at least one weapon was recovered, police said.
The 34-year-old officer was shot just before 9 p.m. near East 92nd Street and South Manistee Avenue, an officer told NBC Chicago. He was taken to Trinity Hospital and was later transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Police said he was alert and speaking to family and colleagues.
"He got hit pretty hard in the head. He's a little bit dazed but his spirits are good. We were joking around a little bit but he's in good shape," Supt. Garry McCarthy told reporters.
He was released from the hospital by 4:30 a.m.
Officials said the officer was a member of a South Chicago tactical team executing a narcotics-related search warrant on the 2700 block of East 92nd Street. The officers entered the building from two entryways and someone fired one round in the officers' direction, police said.
The bullet appears to have ricocheted off a piece of wood and struck the officer in the head, McCarthy said. No shots were returned by officers at the scene and no other injuries were reported.
McCarthy said charges may be filed in the case later Monday.
"We're sure that we have [the shooter] in custody. We just have to sort through the people who were there and make sure that we got the right one and get him charged," he said.
The matter was under investigation by the Independent Police Review Authority.
The wounded officer's name was not publicly released, but NBC Chicago was told his father was also a Chicago police officer and that he is married to another officer. He has earned more than 200 awards during his time on the force.
