A West Side man is facing attempted murder charges after he allegedly used his vehicle to pin a Chicago police officer against a squad car and then opened fire at that officer and others during a traffic stop earlier this week in Lawndale.
The alleged shooter, James Callion, was seriously wounded in an ensuing gun battle with the officers and did not appear at a bail hearing Wednesday at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on the charges because he remained hospitalized.
Officers saw Callion, 28, commit “a minor traffic violation” while he was driving a 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix and attempted to pull him over shortly after 9 p.m. Monday near Polk Street and Albany Avenue, Cook County prosecutors said.
Callion didn’t stop and was then seen running a stop sign, leading officers in an unmarked police vehicle equipped with emergency lights to pull in front Callion’s Pontiac and block the car, prosecutors said. Callion then allegedly attempted to reverse, but was blocked by another unmarked squad car from behind.
Officers approached Callion and reported smelling marijuana and seeing a container of alcohol on the floor of the Pontiac near his feet, prosecutors said. But video from an officer’s body-camera has an officer telling Callion “no big deal man, no problem. You mind putting it in park? ... I’m just gonna have you slide out real quick, alright?” prosecutors said.
Another officer who approached the Pontiac’s driver’s-side door allegedly noticed Callion had a handgun at his right side.
At the same time, an officer was walking between the front of the Pontiac and a squad car while another officer asked Callion to step out of the vehicle and opened the driver’s side door, prosecutors said.
The officer who noticed the gun warned the officer at the door about the weapon, as Callion drove forward and pinned the officer standing in front of his car against the squad car, prosecutors said.
Callion then allegedly fired a single shot out his open passenger-side door at an officer, who was not struck, and then fired a shot through his front windshield at the pinned officer, who was also not hit, prosecutors said.
The pinned officer fired four shots into Callion’s windshield and another officer fired once, prosecutors said.
An officer was able to wrestle Callion out of the driver’s seat, and then heard a gunshot and felt pain in his left hand, prosecutors said.
After being removed from his car, Callion dropped a .40-caliber Smith and Wesson handgun on the ground, prosecutors said. A 9-mm Glock 19 model handgun was also allegedly recovered from his waistband.
Callion, who had been shot multiple times, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital for treatment, prosecutors. An officer testified in court Monday that his condition had been stabilized.
The pinned officer suffered a broken leg and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he had surgery. That officer is expected to require another surgery and rehabilitation therapy. The officer shot in the hand was also treated at Stroger Hospital and will need to have bullet fragments removed from two fingers, prosecutors said.
All three officers recorded the encounter with their body-worn cameras and a police POD camera also recorded the incident, which is being investigated by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability.
The officers involved were placed on routine administrative duties for 30 days.
Callion additionally faces armed habitual criminal, unlawful use of a weapon and aggravated battery charges in connection with the incident. He has previous convictions for robbery and burglary, prosecutors said.
Judge Mary Marubio said Callion would be held without bail until he can appear in court on the charges, when his bail will be reviewed.
His next hearing was set for Friday.
