Hours after the Cook County Sherriff announced an updated "anti-carjacking initiative" meant to crackdown on the rising number of vehicular hijackings, three people attempted to rob and carjack an off-duty Chicago police officer in the city's Calumet Heights neighborhood, officials say.
According to authorities, the encounter escalated to an exchange of gunfire between the victim and at least one of the suspects, who was armed with a gun.
Officials say the incident took place around 6:05 p.m. in the 8800 block of South Constance Avenue.
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At that time, police say the victim was approached by three suspects who demanded her property and her vehicle, a white Tesla. During the encounter, both the victim and at least one of the suspects opened fire, police said. The suspects then fled the scene on foot.
Neighbors and witnesses told NBC 5 they heard more than a dozen gunshots fired.
According to fire officials, the officer was taken to a nearby hospital to be evaluated but was physically unharmed physically following the incident.
Police said a possible suspect was dropped off at different nearby hospital with a non life-threatening gunshot wound. It is not confirmed if this individual was the suspect in the shooting, as this person was not transported by the Chicago Fire Department.
The officer who opened fire will be placed on routine administrative duties for 30 days while the Civilian Office of Police Accountability investigates the shooting.
Earlier Thursday, the Cook County Sheriff's Office announced an expansion into an "anti-carjacking initiative" that aims to deter theft and aid law enforcement in identifying stolen vehicles.
The effort comes as Chicago is on the heels of what is historically the time of year that sees the most carjackings. Earlier this year, The Chicago-Sun Times reported more than 500 carjackings had already been logged from January to April of 2022.
And, according to data analyzed from NBC 5 Investigates, from Jan. 1 through July 24 of 2022, Chicago saw 942 vehicular hijackings, which averages to more than four a day.
Just 57 of those cases have resulted in an arrest, according to city data.
In 2021 alone, the Cook County Sheriff's Office confirms that Chicago saw nearly 2,098 incidents of vehicular hijacking. According to reports, that's more than double the amount in New York City and Los Angeles combined.
WATCH: Shocking Video Shows Carjacking in Broad Daylight on Dan Ryan Expressway
According to the Cook County Sherriff's office, Thursday's anti-carjacking announcement is part of an initiative first rolled out in 2021, which encourages automakers and car owners to place a sticker on their vehicle -- an effort meant to both deter thieves, and help law enforcement more easily track the car should it be stolen.
The Sheriff's office says the renewed initiative is meant to help streamline the application process to receive a sticker.
