East Chicago Police Detective Out Of ICU After Weekend Shooting

CHICAGO (CBS) -- An East Chicago police officer is out of intensive care but still recovering from being shot on February 7.

Authorities said Detective Jeffrey Sanchez was off duty when he was picking up a pizza on the 4700 block of Indianapolis Boulevard around 7 p.m. Sunday, when he got into a "verbal altercation" with two other people, and he was shot five times.

Sanchez returned fire, wounding one of his attackers, according to police.

The detective was taken to a Chicago area hospital, where he has had two surgeries to repair damage done to his intestines and bowel area, police said.

According to a Facebook post from the East Chicago Police Department, Sanchez recently had a breathing tube removed, but is still hospitalized.

"Thank you for your outpouring of love and support. Your kind words and prayers are definitely having a positive impact on Det. Jeffrey Sanchez. As of this morning Detective Sanchez has been removed from a breathing machine and taken out of the ICU. Detective Sanchez is still hospitalized, but in a regular room and in stable condition. He still has a long and difficult road to recovery, but he's improving everyday."

A GoFundMe site is set up to help Sanchez with the medical expenses.

"We're still seeking donations to assist Detective Sanchez with medical expenses. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far. We appreciate your kindness and generosity," said the Facebook post.

Meantime, the attacker who was wounded in the shootout was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center. The other attacker was in the custody of the Lake County Sheriff's Department.