Chicago police fatally shot a stabbing suspect and wounded the person he was trying to stab after the suspect refused to drop his weapon, police said.
Officers were patrolling the city's west side about 11 p.m. Monday when they saw a male attempting to stab a male in the street and ordered the suspect to drop his weapon, police said.
When the suspect continued the attack, officers opened fire, wounding both the suspect and the victim, the Chicago Police Department said in a statement Tuesday morning.
The suspect was later pronounced dead at a hospital, and the other person was hospitalized in critical condition, police said. The suspect's name and age were not released.
Two officers were also taken to a hospital for observation, police said.
Video from WLS-TV shows the shooting scene on Chicago's West Side was near a liquor store, where bottles could be seen on the sidewalk outside that business. The shooting occurred near the border of the Harrison and Austin police districts, two of Chicago's most violent districts, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
According to crime statistics posted by the Chicago Police Department, aggravated battery attacks are up 11% so far this year through May 24, compared with a year ago, with 2,235 such attacks as of late May compared with 2,010 a year ago. But the city has seen 17% fewer murders so far in 2024, compared with last year at the same time — 178 murders as of late May, compared with 215 murders by late May 2023, the data shows.
Chicago police are investigating the shooting, and the officers will be placed on administrative duty for at least 30 days, a routine step after shootings involving police officers, police said.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is investigating the specifics of the shooting. The Associated Press left a message seeking additional information on the shooting with that office.
