By Don Babwin, Associated Press
Three undercover law enforcement officers were shot and wounded Wednesday morning while driving onto an expressway on Chicago’s South Side, police said.
The shooting occurred at 5:50 a.m. near the 22nd District police station in the city’s Morgan Park neighborhood. The three were in an unmarked undercover vehicle on their way to an assignment when they were shot, Chicago police Superintendent David Brown told reporters.
Two of the officers are agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and one is a Chicago officer, Brown said. Their injuries were not considered life-threatening. No arrests have been reported.
The shooting comes the same day as a scheduled visit to suburban Crystal Lake, Illinois, by President Joe Biden. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has said she plans to discuss gun control and the city’s violence, which has included an increase in shootings this year, when she meets with the president.
At a morning press briefing, Brown declined to talk about what the officers were working on. He did not say whether the shooter or shooters knew that they were officers, and department spokesman Tom Ahern later said that detectives had not yet interviewed the three officers to determine if they believe whoever shot them knew they were law enforcement officers.
The officers, Brown said, were driving on an onramp to Interstate 57 when they were “fired upon from the street.” One of the ATF agents was shot in the hand and the other was struck in the torso, Brown said from outside a hospital where the officers were taken. He said the Chicago officer was struck on the back of his head but that “it appears to be a graze wound.”
The shootings come a day after police reported that 100 people were shot in Chicago — including two police officers who were wounded while trying to break up a crowd — over the long Fourth of July weekend.
With Wednesday’s shooting, 36 Chicago officers have been shot or shot at this year, Brown said.
“This is a very challenging time to be in law enforcement but they are rising to the challenge of doing all they can. And the work they do is extremely dangerous,” Brown said.
The holiday weekend shootings included 18 homicides. The bloodshed was comparable to the long Fourth of July weekend last year, when 17 people were fatally shot and 70 more were wounded.
ATF agents were shot… Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Or who cares?
Yes.
I doubt homie the homicider knew they were ATF or a local cop. Just looking for a notch on his belt er pants on the floor. Day or night Chiraq ain’t right!
It’s a reasonable conjecture that they were identified as probably cops.
First, they might have been white driving in a black neighborhood. If so, the shooters would have to ask themselves why these white guys were in their hood. Maybe a mixed group; one white, the other two black or vice versa. A little stranger still.
These three officers were probably in an age range, height range, weight range that is consistent with being cops. None under 21. None over 55. 150 lbs < weight < 275 lbs. 5'10" < height < 6'6".
Work the odds. 50% chance they are cops; better do what you are inclined to do. 50% chance they aren't cops; well, if they are obviously not members of my gang there's no harm done.
They are probably better at street arithmetic than their high school grades indicate.
Mark you’re “usually” ok with yer comments but these cop’s were entering a highway. I-57 as it were. Pretty sure it was pretty dim at 5:30 am too. I stand by my comment(and I’ve been everywhere in She-ca-go). Homie was just havin’ fun…
“First, they might have been white driving in a black neighborhood. If so, the shooters would have to ask themselves why these white guys were in their hood. Maybe a mixed group; one white, the other two black or vice versa. A little stranger still.”
And that is why the black residents called the police on white strangers who come into their neighborhood. Because they know those white people were only there to purchase drugs. And there are many folks in the black community who hate drug dealers. Unfortunately drug dealers have guns and a law-abiding black folks don’t.
But they can at least call the police on the drug dealers’ customers.
We’ll never know. Any police dept, and especially one as corrupt as Chiraq’s, will lie about the details to save face. They could have been enriching themselves on some seized drugs or weapons, for all that we know.
Were they whiteys in a black neighborhood?
Groot is right. It is racism.
Whatever….
Since the Chicago PD has a clearance rate of something like 10% for murder/attempted murder there is no way whoever did this will ever be caught. Rather ironic since the ATF has given Hunter a pass for lying on his 4473.
Well, a maybe 1 in 10 chance given the bulk odds you quote. Not no way, but not something to bet on either.
However, given they were both local and Fed LE, it’s probably going to be a more thorough investigation than it otherwise would be. After all, whoever shot at them gave them more paperwork to do, and that’s worthy of punishment.
Unless Chipman uses his newly expanded ATF air wing with the new armored and artillery groups the conduct a reprisal action.
That’s right…
I feel bad the cop got shot, but NOT so for the atf croonies…
“The holiday weekend shootings included 18 homicides.”
You are using Lori Lightweights numbers, according to HeyJackass the final tally was 22 homicides and 91 shot.
Final Downward Trend: 22 killed, 91 wounded
2020 weekend tally: 21 killed, 71 wounded
2019 weekend tally: 7 killed, 69 wounded
2018 weekend tally: 10 killed, 42 wounded
2017 weekend tally: 15 killed, 89 wounded
2016 weekend tally: 6 killed, 62 wounded
2015 weekend tally: 11 killed, 55 wounded
2014 weekend tally: 16 killed, 66 wounded
2013 weekend tally: 15 killed, 63 wounded
The insanity continues:
Year to Date
Shot & Killed: 357
Shot & Wounded: 1743
Total Shot: 2100
Total Homicides: 380
They’re going to have to change the name of “The Windy City” to “The Bloody City” pretty soon huh?
We can bet that this means ATF is coming down hard on JB’s new anti gun laws and bans……….
If they were ‘undercover’ how did they get outed? or was it just the usual gunfire in Chicago and they were in the wrong place and time?
Maybe the gangsters have their own “undercover” in the CPD…
“If they were ‘undercover’ how did they get outed?”
probably weren’t. probably dressed up as gang bangers and a real one saw them and felt the need to open fire.
Hommie goin’ home after night of bangin’ with da boys. Dumpin’ his excess rounds like a fighter pilot dumpin’ ordnance before carrier landing.
Who was in the back seat playing with their gun?
It was probably part of the mayors plan to de-fund the police.
If a cop can’t protect himself, how is it that he will protect me?
If three cops can’t protect themselves collectively, how is it that the entire police force could, or would bother to, protect me?
If the cops can’t enforce existing gun-controls to the point where they are safe themselves, how is it that they will be able to enforce even more onerous controls to the point that the public will be safe?
“If a cop can’t protect himself, how is it that he will protect me?
If three cops can’t protect themselves collectively, how is it that the entire police force could, or would bother to, protect me?”
Bingo. Perfect comment. You, good sir, win the
InterwebsTTAGthis page for the day.If you’re in Chicago, you are part of the problem and you don’t need and should not be protected.
Excellent !
Was this event like the bus load of lawyers going over a cliff….with one seat empty????
ATF vs Chiraq, two of my favorite things. Not sure if i’m supposed to laugh or cry, so i’ll just drink to that. May the worse one win…
The whole idea is to rid Chicago of law enforcement by any means. It’s been that way for the last 100 years.
I wonder if they all shot each other??? Would not be the first time a bunch of different/ overlapping UC operations tripped over each other…
Reminds me of the old joke about every” new ( insert trendy Boogeyman organization here” being awkward as three quarters of the crowd pretend to not recognize each other” from FLETC/Glynco/FBI/ATFingE/etc”…
That normally occurs during the actual execution of an operation, NOT while riding in a car together on their way TO a job…
The Lord works in mysterious ways!
Apparently Chicago has secede parts of the city to the criminal gangs/mobs. In the past, if this had happened it would be followed by a huge police prescence and a sweep of the “usual suspects” and tremendous pressure applied to give-up the shooter.
Chicago doesn’t seem to care, as long as they don’t try and march to the Mayors’ Home or that of the elites that run the place. The rest of the people don’t matter.
Everyone knows who the gang members and the street criminals are and what businesses they are engaged. Inside of 12 months all of these people could easily be jailed facing life sentences for everything from Murder to Tax Evasion, etc. and the streets would be safer and then the work can begin to rebuild communities and families.
All it takes is the will and the leaders of Chicago are either unwilling to act or, they are happy with the way things are, as long as they continue to get their cut of the action.
John Carpenter’s new blockbuster. “Escape from Chicago”.
The criminals who run Chiraq don’t care. Because judges in Chiraq and city Alderman get to have guns. It’s just that you can’t have guns.
Three undercovers (two of them feds) en route to an assignment, get hit just as they are about to get on the freeway?
JMHO, but it doesn’t sound like a random shooting to me. It sounds more like an ambush.
Exactly. Someone is a pretty good shot to be able to hit all 3 occupants of a moving vehicle.
To me, it sounds like a negligent discharge plus a cover-up.
It’s Mogadishu.
“Forget it Jake, It’s Chiraqtown”….
2ATF agents and one cop shot and wounded, what a tragedy.
Let me guess..
In a few weeks we’ll be told that the FBI got a call from someone reporting on the shooter, then checked on the shooter a few weeks before this shooting,, but didn’t have enough to charge the shooter with anything and failed to notify the local Law Enforcement Division…..
I will admit to being terribly conflicted about this story. On the one hand, I would be upset that LEOs are harmed in the performance of their duty. On the other hand, these are the same LEOs who will not hesitate to kick my door down because their masters have commanded them to arrest law abiding gun owners.
Matt, when it comes to, as you stated, “these are the same LEOs who will not hesitate to kick my door down because their masters have commanded them to arrest law abiding gun owners.”
It behooves us all to know our local LEO’S and their politics, and willingness or not, to work with the jack booted atf and fbi thugs. Know your friends and ENEMIES MORE and have an action plan, especially as long as this illegitimate regiem remains in power. Thomas Jefferson, was not wrong, when he talked of the tyrant problems and solutions.
Comments are closed.