A suspect is in custody and another is at large after a retired Chicago police sergeant was shot and critically wounded Monday morning in North Center, according to police and the local alderperson.
The former sergeant, 74, was shot twice in his left arm and grazed in his neck about 9 a.m. in the 2000 block of West Berteau Avenue, according to a preliminary police statement. He had left his vehicle when two people started shooting in his direction.
He was rushed to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition, police said.
The shooting unfolded as mourners began to gather on the South Side at St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel for the funeral of Officer Enrique Martinez, who was killed this month in an on-duty shooting.
Police radio traffic shows Monday’s victim is a retired department member whose Jeep Grand Cherokee is outfitted with Chicago Police Memorial Foundation license plates. Ald. Matt Martin (47th) said he was told the victim is a former sergeant.
Martin said a suspect was apprehended and SWAT officers were “continuing to search for the second individual.” But the circumstances of the shooting remained unclear as police continued to investigate, he said.
“It’s absolutely horrific, whether it’s 9 a.m. [or] 9 p.m., whether it’s North Center or anywhere else in the city,” Martin told the Sun-Times. “It’s absolutely unacceptable. And to know that it’s a time of day when so many people are walking around, not too far removed from school drop-off, day care drop-off.”
Police radio dispatches show the former sergeant was found wounded near his SUV, and a responding officer applied a tourniquet before he was taken to the hospital.
Tim Shepardson, co-owner of ROCKS Northcenter, said he got to the bar and grill around 9:20 a.m. and saw police vehicles “zooming” the wrong way down the street toward the nearby shooting scene.
Later, Shepardson captured a photo of police taking a person into custody in the 4100 block of North Lincoln Avenue, steps from his establishment.
“All day, there was a tension in the air with police looking around the area,” he said. “Then there was this palpable sigh of relief after the first person was taken into custody.”
By 6:40 p.m., the massive police presence in the area had thinned out and many local businesses had closed for the day. Earlier Monday, Ald. Martin said he was still “hoping to get more answers in the coming hours about the motive.”
“Most importantly,” he added, “hoping for something positive about the victim’s condition.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.