Killed Officer Named, Search For Suspects Continues

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Jul 19, 2010 2:00PM

The Chicago Police officer gunned down outside his home yesterday morning was identified as 62-year-old Michael Bailey, a 20-year veteran of the force who was due to retire in a few weeks. Bailey would have turned 63 next month, the mandatory retirement age for Chicago Police officers. The search continues for the suspects, who approached Bailey early yesterday morning outside his house as he was cleaning a new Buick car he had just purchased a few weeks ago. He had just returned home from overnight guard duty at Mayor Daley's house. Daley said in a statement yesterday, "This is a tragic, stunning reminder of the senseless violence that stalks too many of our neighborhoods. Another Chicago police officer gunned down, this time just weeks before leaving a long career of protecting Chicago. It's absolutely outrageous. ... I knew him. He was a good man. He did not deserve this." Police are still investigating the motive, but an attempted robbery remains the likely one. Bailey is the third officer killed in two months: Officer Thomas Wortham, IV was shot outside his parents' Chatham home while off-duty in an attempted robbery on May 19 and Officer Thor Soderberg was killed less than two weeks ago.

Bailey's death was far from the only violence this weekend. Three separate attacks over the weekend left officers injured, including one in which an officer's face was slashed, two Woodlawn men were accused of firing at police officers, an at least five people were killed and 40 injured in weekend shootings across the city through late last night, including a one-year old.