The Loop

Surveillance Video of Police Shooting on Lower Wacker Drive Shows Officers Firing Into a Stolen Car, Bullets Smashing Through the Windshield

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Surveillance video of a police shooting on Lower Wacker Drive in the Loop shows two officers firing into a stolen car, glass flying as bullets smash through the windshield.

One of the passengers in the Honda Accord, a 25-year-old man, was shot several times and seriously wounded. The two officers were not shot but suffered minor injuries during the confrontation Wednesday night, according to a police statement.

At least two other cars were near the Accord when the shots were being fired but no other injuries were reported. Officers are seen in the video getting the drivers to safety as the gunfire stops and police take the suspects into custody.

The shooting happened just before 9 p.m. in the 200 block of East Lower Wacker Drive. A police statement said there was an “exchange of gunfire,” though that is not clearly shown in the video obtained from police sources.

The video begins with the Honda Accord stopping and a police SUV, blue lights flashing, pulling in front of the Accord and cutting it off.

As an officer gets out, the Accord backs up and hits a black sedan behind it. The officer rushes to the passenger side, pulls his gun, aims it into the car and almost immediately drops to the pavement, according to the video.

Another officer get outs of a police car and, using the door for cover, fires repeatedly into the car, the video shows. Jagged holes appear in the windshield with each shot.

The other officer rolls on his back and, with both hands, aims his gun at the front passenger window and appears to fire several times. The two officers are facing each other — one on the ground, the other behind a door — as they fire at the car between them, according to the video.

The shooting suddenly stops but the officers keep aiming at the car. Other officers arrive, as many as 10 pointing their guns at the car as it appears the front passenger raises his hands, according to the video.

While officers get people in the black car and a nearby white Mercedes to safety, the two front doors of the Accord open. The driver rolls onto the pavement and lies on his stomach. The front passenger is pulled from the car and lies on his back, his arms splayed. The video ends there.

The 25-year-old passenger in the Accord was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in serious to critical condition, Chicago fire officials said. One of the officers was also taken to Northwestern and the other to Rush Medical Center.

Two other people in the car were taken into custody. Police said they recovered two weapons.

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is investigating the incident.

Copyright CHIST - SunTimes
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