Officer Fires Gun, Misses During Traffic Stop In North Chicago

NORTH CHICAGO, IL — A police officer fired his gun at a man but did not hit him during a traffic stop Saturday in North Chicago, authorities said.

North Chicago police asked the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force to conduct an independent investigation into what happened, due to the fact the officer shot a gun in the line of duty.

The unnamed officer involved was placed on administrative leave during a review of the incident, as is department policy, according to a statement from the task force.

A 41-year-old Waukegan man was driving in an unspecified area shortly before 9 p.m. when an officer, who reported the motorist looked like he might be intoxicated, tried to pull him over. But, according to the statement, the driver accelerated and tried to flee the officer during the traffic stop.

The driver eventually stopped around 24th Street and Dickey Avenue and got out of the car, authorities said.

The officer reported he told the driver to put his hands in the air, but instead, he "appeared to be reaching for a firearm in his waistband," according to the statement.

The officer fired multiple times and the man took off running. No one was struck by any of the shots, according to the task force.

Police set up a perimeter in the area and soon found the man hiding with a semiautomatic pistol nearby, the statement said.

The man was taken into custody and held pending charges. No further information on any charges filed was immediately available Monday morning from police or the task force.