Chicago police fatally shot a man who allegedly pointed a gun at police after a foot chase on the South Side, officials said.
The man, whose age was not immediately known, allegedly pointed a .40-caliber Glock semi-automatic handgun at an officer who was pursuing him in a foot chase in the 6200 block of South Rhodes Avenue, officials said.
In a statement from Chicago police, authorities said they observed the man conduct a hand-to-hand narcotics transaction on the 6200 block of South Eberhart and, as they approached, the man fled.
Police said they observed the offender clutch an unknown object in his waistband and pursued him on foot.
One of the officers encountered the offender in a gangway between two buildings on the 6200 block of South Rhodes Avenue. The officer, who was working in civilian clothes, identified himself as a Chicago Police Officer and ordered the offender to drop a handgun he was holding in his right hand, the statement said.
The offender then pointed the gun at the officer, who then fired at the offender, fatally striking the man.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene and the gun, which also had a laser sight and extended high-capacity magazine, was recovered, according to Pat Camden, a spokesman for the Fraternal Order of Police.
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The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed a black male was killed at the scene, but was not releasing a name or age.
Residents were outraged by the shooting, as friends and family members question police tactics.
"It's a big thing, that boy don't mess with nobody," said resident Angel Harris. "It was no reason to shoot him, they could have shot him in the leg. You didn't have to kill him."
And the shooting caused a disturbance in the neighborhood as a large crowd piled into the street, with police taking several people away from the scene.
No officers were reported injured in the shooting and the Independent Police Review Authority is investigating, Camden said.
