Chicago Police Fatally Shoot Man Armed With Knife Who Lunged At Officers In Vittum Park
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago Police officers shot and killed a man who lunged at officers while armed with a knife on the Southwest Side early Saturday morning, according to the Chicago Police Department.
As CBS 2's Jeremy Ross reported, independent investigators were late Saturday were trying to find out exactly what happened.
"My girlfriend, she heard some yelling, and then she heard some police sirens – 'Let's go! Let's go! Run!'" said Charlie Chung.
"I just heard some loud noises," another man said. "It was like loud and rapid."
The noises in Vittum Park were not only unfamiliar to neighbors – they were shocking.
"It's an unfortunate situation," the other said.
"Makes me feel sad," added Chung.
Chung made those remarks after learning about the confrontation with officers that ended a man's life early Saturday.
Around 1:40 a.m., officers were responding to a man stabbed near 49th Street and La Crosse Avenue and attended to the person who was hurt and taken to MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn. His condition is not known.
Officers then searched for a suspect who was found about a block and a half away near 49th Street and Lavergne Avenue, according to the Civilian Office of Police Accountability.
Police said the man was armed with a knife, officers ordered him to drop it, and he refused. While officers tried to arrest the man, a struggle ensued, and then officers used a Taser on him.
"The Taser had no effect," said police Supt. David Brown.
"He was Tased by a sergeant, at which point the offender attempted to remove the prongs from his body," said Chief of Operations Brian McDermott. "He then lunged at the sergeant."
The man went on to attack the sergeant.
"He then grabbed the female sergeant and began stabbing the female sergeant with a long butcher knife," Brown said.
Brown said fortunately, the sergeant's vest prevented her from getting cut.
"The sergeant is shaken - quite shaken - but she's in good condition." Brown said.
As the man continued to attack officers with the knife, and two officers shot him, according to COPA.
The man was pronounced dead shortly later.
No one else was injured.
The officers involved will be placed on routine administrative leave for 30 days, police say.
Independent investigators said the officers were equipped with body cameras, and they will release video as soon as possible without compromising the investigation – sometime in the next 60 days.
"You can't make emotional decisions about releasing the tape," Supt. Brown said. "You don't want early release of video to interfere with the investigation or witness testimony."
The initial stabbing victim has been released from the hospital.
Police said all three of the officers have a minimum of a decade on the force.
The identity of the man who was shot dead by police was not known late Saturday afternoon.
Anyone with information is asked to contact COPA at (312)743-COPA or visit ChicagoCOPA.org. Video can be emailed to COPA-info@chicagocopa.org.
CBS 2's Marissa Parra contributed to this report.
