An 18-year-old man who was shot by an off-duty police officer he was trying to carjack Monday night in the Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side is facing charges.
“It shows how brazen these offenders are,” Chicago Police Sgt. Cindy Guerra said. “They’ll target anyone, and tonight it just happened to be one of our own.”
The Harrison District officer, an 18-year veteran of the department, was sitting in his vehicle about 6:30 p.m. in the 3600 block of South Prairie when two males came up on either side of his vehicle, police said.
The male on the driver’s side announced a robbery and an armed confrontation between the three ensued.
The officer fired once, striking one of them in the abdomen, police said. The 18-year-old, Carlos Hendricks, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in serious but stable condition.
Hendricks, a Bronzeville resident, faces felony counts of attempted aggravated vehicular hijacking with a firearm and attend robbery with a firearm and one misdemeanor count of aggravated assault, according to police. A bond hearing for Hendricks was scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, but he will not appear.
One weapon, in addition to the officer’s gun, was recovered at the scene, police said. The other carjacker ran off north and was still being sought by authorities.
The officer was taken to Rush University Medical Center in good condition for a routine check, police said.
The officer will be placed on routine administrative duties for 30 days while the Civilian Office of Police Accountability investigates the use of force.