Police said a suspect ran from a homemade vehicle, pulled a gun during a struggle and was critically wounded by return fire.
CHICAGO, Ill. — Two Chicago police officers were shot Friday evening after a traffic stop near South Shore led to a foot chase, a struggle and an exchange of gunfire that also left a suspect critically wounded, officials said.
The shooting brought a large emergency response to the area near East 79th Street and South Chappel Avenue, close to the border of South Shore and South Chicago. Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said the officers stopped what he called a homemade vehicle shortly after 5 p.m. The officers and the suspect were taken to hospitals as investigators worked to sort out how the traffic stop turned violent.
Snelling said the two officers stopped the vehicle in the 2000 block of East 79th Street. During the stop, the person they were investigating ran from the scene, and the officers chased him on foot. They caught up with him near the 7900 block of South Chappel Avenue, where a struggle began. Snelling said the suspect reached into a shoulder bag, pulled out a handgun and fired one round. One officer was struck in the vest and returned fire, hitting the suspect. “Thank God for his vest,” Snelling said at a news conference outside the hospital.
The second officer was shot in the arm during the exchange, officials said. Snelling said investigators had not yet determined whether that officer was struck by the suspect’s gunfire or by a round fired by the other officer. The officer shot in the arm had surgery that officials described as successful. The other officer was injured by the impact to his ballistic vest and remained hospitalized for treatment. Both officers were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center and were expected to recover. The suspect was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition. Police said a handgun was recovered at the scene.
The officers were 27 and 30 years old, and each had served with the Chicago Police Department for four years, Snelling said. Their names were not released Friday night. The suspect also had not been publicly identified. Officials said officers who responded after the shooting gave aid to the wounded officers and the suspect until ambulances arrived. Dozens of officers and more than a dozen police vehicles were seen along East 79th Street just east of South Jeffery Boulevard as police blocked streets and investigators marked off the scene.
The shooting came at the start of the Fourth of July holiday weekend, a period when city officials said police and community violence-prevention groups were already planning extra work across Chicago. Mayor Brandon Johnson said he met with the officers’ families and one of the wounded officers after the shooting. “These two officers exhibited a great deal of bravery, courage and strength,” Johnson said. He described them as sons, brothers and public servants and said their families were upset but in good spirits.
Snelling said investigators still needed to interview the officers once their medical care allowed it. He said the early account was based on what officials knew Friday evening, and some details could change as the investigation continues. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability, the agency that reviews police shootings in Chicago, said it was responding to the officer-involved shooting in the 2000 block of East 79th Street. The officers involved in the shooting are expected to be placed on routine administrative duties for at least 30 days under department policy.
The scene remained active Friday night as investigators reviewed evidence, including the recovered gun, and worked to determine the full order of shots fired. No charges were announced by late Friday. The next major step is the independent review by accountability investigators and any further update from police on the suspect’s condition.
Author note: Last updated July 3, 2026.