A Chicago police officer shot a driver who allegedly crashed his car into several vehicles in Wicker Park Tuesday night before accelerating toward officers.
Shakespeare District officers pulled over a vehicle that had struck several parked cars in the 1500 block of North Hoyne Avenue at about 11:45 p.m., according to a police statement.
When the officers walked up to the vehicle, the man driving put the car in reverse and accelerated, hitting a sign and several mailboxes, police said.
The driver then accelerated toward the officers, and "in fear of their lives," one officer shot him, police said.
The man, thought to be in his 20s, was struck once in the leg and taken to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County in good condition, according to Fraternal Order of Police spokesman Pat Camden.
Police had tried to subdue him with pepper spray but he covered his face with his shirt and refused to get out of the vehicle, Camden said.
"I'm not sure if this is a DUI or if [the driver was] over-medicated or what the case is. He was acting extremely belligerent and totally unreasonable at the time," he said.
Neighborhood resident Lauren Kloska tried to stop the driver before officers arrived.
"I saw a guy smashing into cars. Tried to open the door, the door handle came off in my hand. I tried to smash the window," Kloska said.
Clifford Meece says the driver not only hit two of his trucks, but at least two others on his block and few others on LeMoyne Avenue.
"Probably be our luck, like my son said last night, the guy probably stole it and doesn't have any insurance," Meece said.
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The Independent Police Review Authority is investigating.
