Officer Shot, 2 Others Injured In Hostage Situation

By Anna Deem in News on Jan 9, 2010 6:45PM

An extra-alarm fire and a hostage situation both broke out at a three-story courtyard apartment building in the 3000 block of West 19th Street on Friday night. The fire started while the standoff was still going on. The standoff left three people injured, including the suspect, his victim, and a Chicago police officer, who accidentally shot himself in the foot. It's still unclear if the two and a half hour standoff and the fire were related, however police said the fire was intentionally set.

At about 10:10 p.m. on Friday, Ogden District officers responded to a domestic-related call at the apartment building. Police said a 30-year-old man with a handgun was holding a woman against her will in a third-floor apartment. After negotiating with the man, the woman, 42, attempted to flee through the front door, at which time the man fired several shots, striking the woman, police said. As she ran out the door, she bumped into SWAT officers in the hallway, causing one of them to accidentally shoot himself in the foot, police said. The suspect then tried to flee through a window and was subsequently arrested.

The wounded SWAT officer was reported to be in fair condition at Mt. Sinai Hospital this morning, officials said. The woman was reported in "guarded" but "stable" condition at Mt. Sinai for her gunshot wounds. The suspect was also transported to Mt. Sinai for cuts in serious-to-critical condition. There were no injuries from the extra-alarm fire that broke out in a second-floor unit during the aftermath of the standoff. The city's Department of Human Services was called to help take care of about 20 displaced people, said a Fire Department spokesman. No charges have been filed against the suspect as of this morning. [Chicago Tribune]