EAST CHICAGO, Ind. (STMW) – Lake County police are investigating a possible officer-involved shooting in East Chicago that began Tuesday night with a traffic stop in the 4500 block of Euclid Avenue, Chief Mark Becker said Wednesday.
An East Chicago patrol officer saw a car with no taillights and signaled for the driver to stop about 11:25 p.m. At least three people were inside the car, which had been reported stolen in the city on Tuesday.
Instead of pulling to the side of the road, the driver of the car led police on a pursuit that ended near railroad tracks at Chicago and Kennedy avenues. The gates began to come down and the fleeing car continued across the tracks, striking an East Chicago police car. Becker said both cars were extensively damaged.
Some occupants of the car ran, but police did arrest Arturo Gonzalez, 18, who is being held pending automobile theft charges. During the foot pursuit of others, an East Chicago officer fired his duty weapon. A short time later, a 17-year-old arrived at St. Catherine Hospital with a gunshot wound to his leg. The teen claimed he was shot during an attempted robbery.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2013. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
