Bronzeville Standoff Ends in Gunfire After Police Try to Serve Arrest Warrant

Authorities were dispatched to the scene of a Bronzeville apartment just after 8 p.m. when a man locked himself inside with a handgun, according to police

An hours-long police standoff on Chicago’s South Side ended with an eruption of gunfire Thursday morning.

The standoff started around 8 p.m. Wednesday in the city’s Bronzeville neighborhood when a man locked himself inside of an apartment after Cook County Sheriff deputies tried to serve him a felony warrant, according to police.

Police said the man, who was alone in the apartment, opened the door while armed with a handgun then barricaded himself. The standoff prompted a response from dozens of Chicago police officers and SWAT.

Around 3 a.m., officers could be heard telling a man inside the home in the 4800 block of Calumet Avenue to “put that gun down.”

Shortly after, several shots were fired.

“When all the negotiations failed, the decision was made to fire gas canisters into the house,” said Deputy Chief Carlos Velez. “After this was done he appeared from the rear of the house with a gun and at this time he started firing at officers in a very close range. Officers returned fire and struck him.”

Police say the man was shot in the upper body and was taken to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County where his condition was not immediately known. No officers were injured, Velez said. 

The 46-year-old man was wanted on a domestic battery and aggravated assault warrant, according to a spokesperson with the Cook County Sheriff's office. The man's wife had filed a complaint Tuesday and received an order of protection from a Domestic Violence Court judge, the Chicago Tribune reports.

CTA Green Line trains were temporarily shut down between 35th Street and Garfield Avenue while a SWAT team worked to resolve the situation. Several surrounding streets were also closed to cars and pedestrians.

The shooting is under investigation by the Independent Police Review Authority.

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