Police officer seriously injured during shooting outside pub in Illinois

CICERO, IL - Authorities said that a potential parking violation situation managed to escalate into a shooting that sent one Cicero officer to the hospital in serious condition.

According to CBS News, the shooting happened outside of Nikki's Pub and Gaming just before 1:00 a.m. in the area of 35th Street and 61st Court. Several police, including helicopter response, reported to the scene, which ended with two people being taken into custody. Cicero police said that two plainclothes officers approached a vehicle after noticing it had illegally double parked on the roadway.

Upon approaching the vehicle, an armed individual began firing at the officers. One of the officers, who is 29-years-old, was struck in the back and taken to Loyola Hospital in serious condition. The back window of an unmarked police car, a Ford Expedition, was also found shot out. The second officer was not hurt.

Police said that the officers quickly requested assistance and were able to provide information regarding the suspects involved in the shooting. Responding officers were able to identify two individuals who fit that description and as the attempted to flee the scene, they were detained.

As of this writing, the connection between the individuals and the shooting remains under investigation. However, the shooting did not involve the pub. The injured officer has been on the force for just under five years. He and his partner were working in the department's special operation division in civilian clothes at the time of the shooting.

Following the incident, Superintendent Thomas P. Boyle said in a statement, "This violent act underscores the dangers faced by law enforcement officers every day while they work to protect the community. The Cicero Police Department is committed to holding those responsible accountable and ensuring the safety of both police officers and residents."

Aaron Salgado, who lives in neighboring Berwyn, said it was alarming to hear an officer had been shot. He said, "Two a.m., you know, you're hearing choppers, you're looking out, and they're just all over the place and then you come to find out there's a shooting. It's shocking. I've lived in Cicero for 23 years, and I lived in Berwyn for the past four, and this is the first time I've actually heard someone shooting at the cops in this area, you know?"

Jorge Contreres lives at the intersection where the shooting took place. He said he heard about six shots. Looking out the window afterwards, he said that the didn't realize the victim was a police officer.

He said, "Now that I found out it was a police officer, I'm like, 'Wow. This is really serious.' Hopefully he's okay. It's very unfortunate that happened to him, especially when he might've been undercover without uniform. So, yeah, it's just bad." A worker at a local bar near the intersection said their staff is hoping for the best for the officer and helping by providing any evidence they may have.

Contreres said since the shooting, he no longer feels safe. He added, "Usually, this part of town is a little safer; more senior citizens live around here. And I just feel like it's attracting bad vibes, bad people, you know?"

According to FOX32, the shooting comes just days after Cicero's town President Larry Dominick, a former police officer, called for stricter punishments for those who harm or kill officers. The proposal was sparked by the shooting death of Oak Park Police Officer Allan Reddins, who was killed a month ago while responding to a call.

Dominick suggested mandatory prison sentences of 20 years for pointing a gun at an officer, 40 years for shooting an officer, and the death penalty for killing an officer. He argued that such measures are necessary to deter violent crime against law enforcement.