Police: Suspect shoots 3 Chicago officers who then shoot him

CHICAGO — A carjacking suspect being led into a Chicago police station on Thursday shot three officers, who returned fire and shot him, authorities said.

The officers and the gunman were rushed to a hospital, police spokesman Tom Ahern said. One of the officers was shot in neck and a breathing tube had to be inserted, according to a doctor at the hospital where he was taken. Ahern said another was shot in the chest but was wearing a bulletproof vest of vest and the third suffered a graze wound to his hip. Police also said two other officers were taken to a hospital to be treated for chest pains.

Ahern said he did not have any details on the condition of the suspect, whose name wasn’t released.

The suspect opened fire as the officers were walking him from a police vehicle into a station on the city’s northwest side, said Ahern.

“They were bringing him to the station when the offender was able to fire shots at the officers and they returned fire,” he said.

Ahern said the details of exactly what happened were still sketchy, and it wasn’t clear if the suspect somehow overpowered an officer and took his gun or if he had his own weapon. Suspects are routinely searched for weapons before they are placed in police vehicles.

Police Superintendent David Brown told reporters that the suspect was wanted in connection with a June 26 carjacking in downtown Chicago. He said officers identified the stolen vehicle on Thursday morning, followed it and then took the driver into custody.

Don Babwin, The Associated Press