Chicago man suspected of shooting police officer had arrest record with gun charge that was dropped: report

A man suspected of shooting a Chicago police officer Wednesday afternoon had an arrest record for a gun charge that was later dropped, according to a Thursday report citing a police alert. 

Police Superintendent David Brown said that two Chicago police officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of a car in the West Englewood neighborhood around 5:42 p.m.  

The car the officers tried to pull over first sped up, then slowed down to be parallel with the officers’ squad car, Brown said at a Thursday press conference. Someone in the car then started shooting at the officers.

The officer who was driving was wounded in her upper body, Brown said. The officer in the passenger seat drove the wounded officer to a hospital, where she was in serious condition. Her name has not been released.

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The suspects’ vehicle crashed and the suspects fled from it, police said. The suspected gunman lives less than 2 miles from the scene of the shooting, The Chicago Sun-Times reported, citing a police alert. 

Both suspects are still at large. According to the police alert, the suspect who allegedly opened fire on the officers is a 28-year-old man with an arrest record for a gun charge that was later dropped. The Sun-Times is not naming the suspect because he has not been formally charged. 

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Court records show he was arrested in October 2020 after he was spotted speeding and running red lights on the South Side. Arresting officers found a handgun under the driver’s side floor mat.

The man was charged with unlawful use of a weapon because he did not have a state Firearm Owner’s Identification Card or concealed carry license. Those charges were dropped earlier this year after the gun owner provided both a Firearm Owners Identification car, or FOID card, and concealed carry license, the Sun-Times reported. 

Chicago police would not independently comment on the report, citing the ongoing investigation. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.