'The Police Ruined My Life': Minnesota Man Shot By Amtrak Cop Paralyzed, Victim's Sister Says

CHICAGO, IL — A Minnesota man remains paralyzed after being shot in the left shoulder by an Amtrak police officer Wednesday near Union Station, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The sister of the victim — Chad Robertson, 25, a father of two with no criminal record — told the Sun-Times that a bullet is still lodged in Robertson's spine, and doctors at Stroger Hospital are unable to remove it. According to the sister, Robertson has been in and out of consciousness, and doctors have told the family that the prognosis is not optimistic.

"When he found out about his condition from the doctors, he was heartbroken," his sister told the Sun-Times. "He just said, 'The police ruined my life'."

RELATED: Amtrak Cop Shoots 25-Year-Old Man Near Union Station: Chicago Police

The shooting happened at around 8:45 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8, in the 300 block of South Canal Street. The Amtrak officer was unhurt in the incident, and Chicago police are investigating the shooting. Investigators have claim Robertson was carrying drugs and cash at the time.

Robertson's lawyer, Dennis Hopson, admits that his client had "an insignificant amount" of marijuana, but Hopson disputes law enforcement's claim that the Amtrak police officer shot an unarmed Robertson in response to a robbery, the Sun-Times reports.

Robertson, along with a friend, was in Chicago because of a Megabus layover during his return to Minnesota from a wedding in Memphis, the report stated. Unable to wait in the bus terminal, the two went to Union Station to stay warm while they waited for their next bus, the report added.

When they reached the station, however, Hopson says the men, as well as a female bus passenger, were rudely approached by two officers, and the trio exited the stations, inadvertently leaving their bags behind, the report stated. After realizing the mistake, the friend returned to Union Station to get the bags, while Robertson and the women found another place to wait, the report added.

The two officers that confronted the trio at the station then followed the friend as he returned with the luggage, the report stated. The three were told to raise their hands, and the officers searched them, the report stated.

According to the lawyer, Robertson ran when one of the officers reached into one of his client's pockets, the report stated. After shouting he would shoot if Robertson didn't stop running, the officer dropped to a knee and fired twice, missing once before hitting Robertson in the left shoulder, Hopson said, according to the Sun-Times.

More via the Chicago Sun-Times

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