An attempted armed robbery at a South Side currency exchange was stopped by a retired Chicago police officer who was seriously wounded in a shootout with the suspects, authorities said.
The incident happened around 7:30 a.m. Thursday at 71st and Wentworth Avenue, where the retired officer was working as a security guard, police said.
Police said the shooting happened as a female worker was opening the business for the day. She was not injured.
“She was opening the exchange – they were trying to get inside," said Deputy Chief Fred Melean.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
Police say there was an exchange of gunfire, though it was unclear who fired first. The 60-year-old retired officer was shot multiple times and remains hospitalized at the University of Chicago Medical Center in serious condition. Police are not releasing the retired officer’s name.
"The officer’s actions were heroic,” Melean said. “He did his best he could…he saved that person’s life.”
