Man struck in the head with ‘blunt object’ in Austin

A man was struck in the head and critically injured in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side Friday evening.

At 8:04 p.m., the man got into a fight in the 4800 block of West Ferdinand and was struck in the head with a blunt object, according to Chicago Police.

A witness told officers they heard gunshots and he was initially believed to be shot, police said. Investigators later learned that he was struck with an object, but did not provide additional details.

He was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, police said.