Metra released audio tapes of the night two Chicago police officers were killed on the tracks in the line of duty.
For the first time, the public can are hear the chaos from that deadly night.
The recordings, obtained by NBC 5 Investigates through a Freedom of Information request, show that Metra was not aware there was a police investigation underway on its tracks near 103rd and Dauphin.
And that trains were moving through the area at normal speeds, when one tragically struck the two officers who were following up on a report of shots fired.
The engineer speaking in the audio recordings is a South Shore employee. The trains run on Metra tracks.
A devastating tragedy occurred tonight at 103rd and Cottage Grove where two #ChicagoPolice officers investigating a shots fired call were struck by a passing train. Please pray for the @ChicagoCAPS05 5th district. Details to follow. pic.twitter.com/0IfXTZf2Bs
— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) December 18, 2018
"Emergency, emergency, emergency – north dispatcher," one engineer said over the radio. "I believe I just hit a pedestrian. Over."
Confusion continues on the tracks.
"Say that again? Over," a dispatcher responds. "Alright, you gonna have your conductor check, check it out?"
The engineer responded affirmatively.
A devastating tragedy occurred tonight at 103rd and Cottage Grove where two #ChicagoPolice officers investigating a shots fired call were struck by a passing train. Please pray for the @ChicagoCAPS05 5th district. Details to follow. pic.twitter.com/0IfXTZf2Bs
— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) December 18, 2018
"Yeah, she’s gonna get on the ground," they said.
The train’s engineer assigned a conductor the grim task of checking the train and confirming what he had thought.
"Ahhhh, we got something back here," another conductor said. "We got--we got somebody."
Another conductor asks if there are signs of life.
Just now hearing @Chicago_Police lost 2 officers tonight. Pray for the brave men and women of CPD, they need our support.
— Garry McCarthy (@Garry4Chicago) December 18, 2018
"Negative," the second conductor responds. "Mile marker 12-93."
Almost immediately, Metra knew that what it thought was a pedestrian were actually two Chicago police officers.
"Hey, just a heads-up," and conductor from the scene said over the radio. "This is a Chicago PD ... you guys, there’s a book on the track too that’s a PD book as well."
"I’ve got a, uh, firearm belt. Um. Firearm’s missing," the second conductor said.
Officers Eduardo Marmolejo and Conrad Gary apparently never saw the train that hit them as they pursued a shooting suspect across the tracks.
Their deaths mourned not only by their families, but by the whole city as well.
Prayers, please.
— FOP7Chicago (@FOP7Chicago) December 18, 2018
"Somebody please make an announcement to passengers--and don’t freak them out," a conductor crackled over the radio.
Edward Brown, 24, is being held on a 200-thousand dollar bond in connection with the incident.
He told police he found the gun and two magazines in a fanny pack.
Local
He says he was just testing the it out before officers Gary and Marmolejo arrived on the scene.
