Officer On Preckwinkle's Security Team Fired Shots At Carjacker

CHICAGO — A Cook County Forest Preserves police officer shot at a carjacker outside the home of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle last week, but officials have not disclosed if anyone was shot or if Preckwinkle was in danger.

According to CWB Chicago, the incident occurred on Sept. 27 but was not made public until this week.

A statement from the Cook County Forest Preserves District confirmed an officer stationed outside of Preckwinkle's home on the 5100 block of South Kimbark Avenue "fired shots during an attempted carjacking" at around 8:30 p.m.

A spokeswoman for the district said the officer is a member of Preckwinkle's protection detail but could not give additional details for fear of disclosing "operational procedures."

Chicago police listed the incident as an attempted carjacking of a man sitting inside a car. At the time, they said no shots were fired and no injuries were reported.

CWB reported Chicago police were looking into whether an 18-year-old man found with a gunshot wound to the knee nearly three miles from Preckwinkle's Hyde Park home was shot by the officer.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported a source told the news outlet the officer returned fire when an armed person shot at them while trying to take their vehicle.

Preckwinkle's security detail used to be made up of officers in the Cook County Sheriff's department, but issues involving the chain of command led to the detail being manned by officers from Cook County's Department of Emergency Management and later from the Forest Preserves Department of Law Enforcement.