Driver Shot By Police, Critically Wounded, After Pointing Gun: PD

BRIDGEVIEW, IL — A Bridgeview police officer shot a man who pointed a gun at the officer following a minor traffic accident on Tuesday evening, according to police. The man was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in critical condition.

Around 7 p.m., the officer was on his way to investigate an unrelated retail theft when he was rear-ended by another vehicle near 103rd Street and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview. When the officer got out to investigate the damage, police said the man exited his vehicle pointing a gun at the officer. The Bridgeview cop pulled out his service weapon and fired, striking the man. A police department spokesman, Ray Hanania, said the driver was with another female in the car.

The Bridgeview Fire Department took the critically wounded man to Christ Medical Center, where the extent of his injuries are unknown at this time. The officer was not harmed. Bridgeview police, along with other nearby police departments, remain on the scene. Illinois State Police have started an investigation into the shooting.

The man's name will be released as soon as identification is made, Hanania said. Further details will be released as they become available.