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Police Officer Hurt In Fatal Shooting On South Side

Updated 11-24-11 at 12:08 p.m.

CHICAGO (STMW) - A Chicago Police officer shot a man dead after he began punching her in the face and trying to grab her gun after a police chase early Thursday on the South Side.

It happened about 1:50 a.m. in the 7300 block of South Emerald Avenue after a police chase, police said.

Before the shooting, the officers attempted to pull over a possibly stolen vehicle with four suspects inside and a pursuit ensued, Fraternal Order of Police spokesman Pat Camden said. The car crashed into a garage near South Emerald Avenue and West 74th Street and the occupants fled.

One of the officers chased a suspect into an alley, Camden said. The suspect turned into a garage, punched her in the face several times and a struggle for the officer's weapon ensued, he said.

The officer regained control of her gun and fired several shots that killed the suspect, Camden said.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's office said the 27-year-old Woodlawn man was pronounced dead at 4:25 a.m. on the scene. His identity was not being released pending family notification. An autopsy is scheduled for later Thursday.

The Englewood District police officer was initially taken to Holy Cross Hospital in good condition but police later said the woman was treated and released. Police said the officer sustained some facial injuries -- bruises -- from being punched.

Wentworth Area detectives and the Independent Police Review Authority, which investigates all police-involved shootings, are investigating.

© Sun-Times Media Wire Chicago Sun-Times 2011. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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