Man Sleeping In Car Fatally Shot Overnight By Blue Island Cop: Police

BLUE ISLAND, IL — A man who had been in his car was shot by a Blue Island police officer early Thursday morning during a well-being check where an AR-15 pistol was observed laying in plain view on the front seat, police said. The man was pronounced dead at Advocate Christ Medical Center.

Around 1:35 a.m., Blue Island police responded to the area of 2015 Broadway for a suspicious vehicle-well being check. The caller said the driver side door was ajar, and a man was unresponsive in the driver's side seat.

When the officer arrived, he noticed an AR-15 pistol on the front seat and called for assistance, police said in a news release. As other officers arrived, they tried to rouse the driver. Police said when the man woke up, he "reached for the front passenger seat," according to a news release.

The officer fired one round into the man’s torso area, police said. The man was taken to Advocate Christ in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced deceased.

The Illinois State Police Crime Scene Services Unit responded to the scene to process evidence. The ISP Public Integrity Task Force has initiated an independent review. The name of the man and officer will not be released due to the ongoing investigation, police said.