An off-duty Calumet City police officer was being treated for a gunshot wound Saturday after he was shot during an exchange of gunfire Friday night while getting out of his vehicle, according to the city’s police chief.
Police said the officer told investigators he was shot during an exchange of gunfire with two or more people while he was exiting his vehicle in the 600 block of Merrill Avenue in Calumet City. Police Chief Christopher Fletcher said police found the officer with an apparent hip wound after responding to a call at 10 p.m. Friday.
The assailants, described as male and thin, drove off in a dark-colored vehicle, police said.
Near the scene, tactical officers with Army-green uniforms, masks and long guns walked the streets in groups, searching around houses and in yards.
Police vehicles, some armored, lined the streets in the neighborhood, where residents gathered outside. The area is usually peaceful, they said. Evenly trimmed lawns separated single-story homes and a few apartment buildings from the sidewalk.
Several residents who did not want to be named said they heard about five gunshots.
Responding law enforcement agencies included the Cook County sheriff’s office, Calumet City police and a south suburban regional team.
The officer was treated at Advocate Christ Medical Center, where his condition had stabilized, Fletcher said. The officer was initially treated at a local hospital before he was transferred to the Oak Lawn facility for additional care, police said. His name was not released.
According to the Calumet City Police Department’s detective division, anyone with information is urged to call investigators at 708-868-2500.
