Posted on 05/28/2009 3:05:39 PM PDT by KeyLargo
May 27, 2009 9:50 pm US/Central
Cop Robbed Of Gun As He Lay Injured After Crash
Reporting Dana Kozlov CHICAGO (CBS)
A Chicago Police officer was critically injured Wednesday after a violent crash on the city's South Side. As CBS 2's Dana Kozlov reports, at first it appeared someone was helping the officer. Instead a man was robbing him of his gun as he lay injured and unable to move.
Before he was taken into surgery, the man was able to tell his fellow officers that someone had stolen his gun and tried to roll him over to take his wallet, too.
Three vehicles collided at the intersection of 98th and Halsted streets about 11:45 a.m., according to police News Affairs Officer Laura Kubiak. The officer first hit a car with two senior citizens, who weren't hurt, then crashed into a light post.
The officer is being treated at Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn.
Earlier Wednesday crews pried the Chicago police SUV off a light pole after evidence technicians spent hours processing it for fingerprints. Detectives aren't only concerned about the officer seriously injured in the accident. They're also concerned with finding the man who took his gun.
"We do know the officer said he remembers hearing the snap on his gun holster," said Chicago Police Dept. spokesperson Roderick Drew.
A young man who witnessed the incident told CBS 2, "The dude was going to try to help him. He opened the door, I thought he was helping him out, but no, he was taking the weapon from his hip… that's all I saw. I ran back to the house. I didn't want nothing else to do with it."
Witnesses say the gun was stolen minutes after the police SUV hit the side of a sedan that was taking a left onto Halsted off 98th Street. The officer was responding to a burglary call, so his siren and lights were off.
"As he was swerving… the police swerved on the other end and they crashed into the pole. It looked like the police was going 75, maybe 80 miles an hour," said witness Hoyle Marshall.
The driver of the sedan, 85-year-old Edward Blackledge, said, "I got into the center and I look up and saw this police car come up real fast fast, no lights and no sirens on."
At least three others in two cars were injured too. Those at the scene say the officer was in really bad shape, making it easy for someone to take his gun.
"He couldn't move to defend himself or to actually hold it, his gun to its holster. So, they slipped it off, took off," witness Terrence Campbell said.
"To know what happened, it just sickens me to happen to anyhow, much less a police officer, someone who was responding to someone else in need," Drew said.
A Chicago Police SUV crashed into a utility pole at 98th and south Halsted on Chicago's south side.
CBS
Obama voter and ACORN activist
It’s the Chicago way.
Officer was lucky the guy didn’t pop a few into him with his own gun. It’s a sad, sad world.
According to local sources, the officer suffered severe spinal injuries and the robber may have made them worse.
Ah yes, the city of brotherly love.
One of Mayor Daley’s many excuses for wanting to take guns away from Illinois citizens is that they are stolen and used in crimes.
Well, this looks like as good a time as any for Daley to disarm his police so the officer’s guns won’t exist and are subject to theft where they will be used in a crime!
"Who among us hasn't done that?"
Miracle . I wondered if that is why this was considered newsworthy .
I remember that case they tried their best to railroad that poor lady right into jail. After that case I wouldn’t have helped either!
Wall off chi town, like Baghdad and let them all get along with each other!
I think that’s Killadelphia. Chicago is the City of Big Shoulders (or is that shudders?). According to John Kass (a local columnist), the motto should be, “Where’s mine?” as in bribe or payback (i.e. Roland Burris, Blago, Rahm, etc.).
“We should pick up France, and move it.” — Will Rogers
No - You bad ... Philly is ostensibly the brotherly love city - Chicagah - “ShyTown” is the “Windy City “ - just keeping thing straight - Self-Appointed Temporary Jr. Post Police Person ;-)
Gee, why would anybody not want to help a Chicago cop?
Wow..just wow. I missed that story. I really can't believe how badly that nurse was treated. She deserves every penny.
80 MPH huh?
What, was he late for his break?
That gun is now in the Chicago hood, and the S/N has been filed off.
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