A South Side man has been charged with shooting an off-duty Chicago police officer last week during a botched robbery attempt in the Brighton Park neighborhood.
Chrishawn Thomas, 18, ended up being shot himself by the officer he allegedly followed early Tuesday to the 3900 block of South Artesian Avenue, according to Cook County prosecutors.
The officer stopped home after a 12-hour shift to pick up some laundry before driving to a friend’s house about 3 a.m., prosecutors said during Thomas’ bond hearing Saturday.
Thomas and an unidentified accomplice were in another vehicle on the block, and surveillance video shows them following the officer as he drove toward Artesian, prosecutors said.
When he parked and got out, so did Thomas, who called out to the officer and pointed a gun at his head from an arm’s length away, prosecutors said.
The officer pulled out his own gun, which prompted Thomas to open fire, hitting the officer below the knee, prosecutors said.
The officer returned fire, hitting Thomas multiple times in the legs, prosecutors said.
Thomas ran, dropping his gun at the scene and made off with the alleged accomplice while the off-duty officer called for help, prosecutors said.
They drove to the Parkway Gardens housing complex, and another acquaintance from there drove Thomas to St. Bernard Hospital, prosecutors said. He allegedly told officials he’d been wounded in a drive-by while taking out the trash.
Surveillance video and gunshot detection technology didn’t back up his story, though, according to prosecutors, who said blood samples from the scene matched Thomas. The officer later identified him, too, prosecutors said.
Thomas had been out of jail on electronic monitoring in to a separate armed robbery case, prosecutors said. Judge Charles Beach ordered him held without bail on the new charges of attempted murder, attempted armed robbery and aggravated battery with a firearm.
The officer was hospitalized in fair condition, and will be placed on routine administrative duties for 30 days.
Thomas, who is still hospitalized, has another court hearing Monday.
