CHICAGO — Police shot and wounded a man inside a police station after he walked inside shouting “anti-police sentiments” and pointed a gun wrapped in a plastic bag at officers, police Superintendent David Brown said Wednesday afternoon.
The shooting happened about 12:50 p.m. at the West Side station, 3315 W. Ogden Ave., after a man walked in and began “mumbling and ranting” in the lobby, Brown said at a news conference.
The man had a plastic bag in his hand, and an officer saw what appeared to be the barrel of a gun sticking out of the bag, Brown said. The man shouted anti-police sentiments and began to point the gun at officers working at the front desk.
Officers drew and fired their weapons as a response, Brown said.
The man was shot in the arm, police said. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Brown said he believes three officers fired their weapons, but their guns will be inspected to confirm how many officers fired shots.
No officers were injured, Brown said.
The man’s gun was recovered at the scene, police spokesman Tom Ahern wrote in a tweet.
The man who was shot has not yet been identified, Brown said.
“He is not being very cooperative telling us who he is,” Brown said, adding that authorities will attempt to identify him by his fingerprints.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is investigating the shooting, Brown said. The officers involved in the shooting will be placed on routine administrative duties for 30 days.
“This anti-police sentiment expressed by this particular offender has us all concerned about access to our police facilities where our officers are,” Brown said. “But we have to balance that with being open to the community to come in and make reports and engage with our officers.”
It was the second shooting at a police facility in recent days. Late last month, a man broke into the Homan Square facility and allegedly pointed guns at police officers, who shot him.
Brown said the department is looking into adding a layer of security for officers working in police facilities after these two recent incidents.
“We’re asking for the city’s prayers,” Brown said.
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