A 22-year-old man was shot by police in south suburban Dolton Saturday night following an alleged confrontation.
Police were responding to calls about shots fired around 8 p.m. Saturday in the 200 block of East 143rd Avenue when they were passed by a speeding blue SUV with bullet holes, according to Dolton Police Chief John Franklin.
Officers were pursuing the vehicle, which had traveled in Harvey, when a passenger jumped out near the 500 block of Sibley Boulevard.
Police said the passenger then got into a confrontation with an officer and pulled out two handguns. The officer, fearing for his life, shot and killed the man, Franklin said.
"My officer was actually so startled by this event that when he bailed out of his own squad car to engage this subject he never got a chance to put his own squad car in park," Franklin said. "So his squad car continued to roll into a garage, resulting in minimal damage."
The 22-year-old man was identified as Malcoln Franklin, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.
One officer was taken to an area hospital sa a precautionary measure.
Police are still searching for two suspects who fled the scene in the blue Chevy Tahoe with Illinois license plate no. A304720.
The officer involved in the shooting has worked for the force for a little more than two years, police said. He has been placed on administrative leave, per protocol, while officials investigate the incident.
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Chief Franklin said the officer involved in the shooting was "shaken up by the incident."
"Right now, on a preliminary basis, it appears my officer followed all protocal. He did a fine job," Franklin said. "Of course we're sorry for the loss of anybody dying in pursuit of an officer performing his duties, but at the same time an officer has the right to go home to his family, which he did last night."
Police said dash cam video captured the SUV speeding and nearly hitting the squad car.
The victim's mother says he was a good kid and police knew who him. She said he was "trying to get his life together" and was looking for a job.
"My son was a good child. I know everybody says that but you know people around here knew malcom, they knew he was a good boy, a good man.
"[Chief Franklin] said the police officers feared for their lives, you know, and that's not enough right there for me because my son had a life too," said the victim's mother Juanita Franklin. "Twenty-two years old, a young guy trying to get his life together."
"He was a beautiful child," said family friend Denise Avery. "Malcolm would do anything for everybody, so to tell us that they felt threatened was not enough."
Police allege the victim was a "reputated member" of a local gang.
