A suspect involved in a robbery at Swedish Hospital shot two Chicago police officers who were guarding him on Saturday morning, subsequently fleeing into the Lincoln Square neighborhood. Law enforcement sources report that the suspect is now in custody.
Both officers sustained severe injuries, and as the Chicago Police Department was preparing for a press conference in the afternoon, it was internally confirmed that one officer had died. The injured officers were transferred to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. Here’s what is known so far:
At approximately 8 a.m., a man reportedly robbed the Family Dollar store located at 3239 West Lawrence Avenue in Albany Park, according to initial police reports. The suspect allegedly brandished a weapon, assaulted a woman at an ATM, and escaped with money from the store.
Some of the stolen items had a GPS tracker connected to the CPD’s intelligence command center, enabling police to quickly trace their location. Using this data, officers apprehended a suspect in the 3400 block of North Troy Street around 8:25 a.m. A store employee identified the suspect as the robber, according to a source.
Officers at the arrest scene did not find a firearm on the suspect, but they did discover a wallet belonging to a Family Dollar victim.
After being taken into custody, the suspect complained of feeling unwell. The police called for an ambulance, which transported him to Swedish Hospital for a medical checkup. Two officers stayed with the suspect at the hospital.
According to Endeavor Health, which operates the hospital, the suspect was “wanded upon arrival” with a handheld metal detector and was “escorted by law enforcement at all times,” as stated on Twitter.
At around 10:50 a.m., the suspect acquired a firearm—its source remains unknown—and shot both officers guarding him. He then fled the hospital naked, carrying the firearm.
Residents reported the suspect attempting to break into homes while police searched the area. The suspect was eventually apprehended shortly after noon in the 2600 block of West Carmen Avenue, where investigators found a firearm.
The officers who were targeted are both male, aged 58 and 38, and joined the police force in 2004 and 2015, respectively.
CWB Chicago will provide a comprehensive update following the CPD’s press conference.
Editor’s note: This article was updated at 3:28 p.m. to include information about CPD’s internal confirmation of one officer’s death.
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