Man fatally shoots himself after exchanging fire with Aurora cop

An 18-year-old man fatally shot himself in the head Tuesday night after he exchanged gunfire with a police officer during a foot chase in west suburban Aurora.

At 8:41 p.m., an officer pulled over a 2003 Chevrolet Impala near 4th Street and North Avenue, and smelled cannabis coming from the vehicle, according to Aurora police spokesman Dan Ferrelli.

As the officer was talking to the passenger, an 18-year-old man, he ran westbound on Fourth and the officer ran after him, Ferrelli said. During the chase, the man turned and fired more than one shot at the officer, and the officer returned fire.

A short time later, officers found the man apparently trying to get into a home in the 200 block of South LaSalle Street, Ferrelli said.

When they confronted him, the man pulled out a handgun and shot himself in the head, Ferrelli said.

The man, identified as Aurora resident Anthony Martell, was initially taken to Aurora Hospital, then airlifted to another suburban hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9 a.m. Wednesday, authorities said.

Preliminary results of an autopsy Thursday were pending further studies, according to the DuPage County coroner’s office.

The driver of the vehicle, a 36-year-old woman, was an acquaintance of the man and has fully cooperated in the investigation, Ferrelli said. She has not been charged with a crime.

No other injuries were reported and a handgun was recovered at the scene, Ferrelli said.

The 37-year-old officer involved in the shooting, a nine-year veteran assigned to the Community Oriented Policing Unit, has been placed on modified duty, according to Ferrelli. An internal investigation has begun.

Illinois State Police will conduct an investigation into the shooting.