Cicero Police Officer Shot Near I-55 Exit In Chicago

CHICAGO, IL — A police officer was shot on Cicero Avenue near the Interstate 55 exit on Chicago's Southwest Side late Thursday afternoon. The location of the shooting is near Midway International Airport and just off the Stevenson Expressway's Cicero exit. Several police agencies responded to the scene just after 5 p.m. and closed a several block radius in the area to traffic. Chicago police will handle the criminal investigation and said that an "admin use of force" component will be under the investigation of the Illinois State Police.

It was a police officer from near west suburban Cicero who was shot, according to a spokesman for the Chicago Police Department. The injured officer has been identified as 31-year-old Luis Duarte. Duarte has been a Cicero police officer for about four years. He was in good condition at Mount Sinai Hospital as of Thursday night.

A Cicero police officer has been shot during a police investigation in Chicago at I-55 and Cicero Ave. Officer condition is unknown. Please avoid the area and make way for emergency vehicles as intermittent closures will be in effect. pic.twitter.com/WdCcRpfKZg
— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) September 13, 2018

Cicero Avenue remained closed in both directions near the Stevenson for hours as the investigation unfolded. Motorists who need to get to Midway Airport, just a few blocks south of the shooting location, were forced to avoid using Cicero to get there.

A spokesman for the town of Cicero said Duarte was shot by a suspect fleeing northbound on Cicero from both Cicero and Chicago police officers. Gunfire was exchanged and Duarte was hit several times, Cicero Police Chief Jerry Chlada Jr. said.

An audio file of police scanner traffic on the incident has surfaced here.

Officer shot once in the arm and once in the leg, per ISP. Being transported to Sinai, with a very large escort. #ChicagoScanner
— Eric Tendian (@EricTendian) September 13, 2018

Duarte has already undergone surgery at Mt. Sinai, Cicero officials said.

A suspect was taken into custody after he too was wounded in the gunfire. He's currently in stable condition at an area hospital.

The suspect was ultimately shot during the gun exchange by a civilian with a concealed carry license who aided police.

"Police have a tough job confronting armed criminals, Cicero Town President Larry Dominick said. "I want to applaud the courage of all of the Cicero police and Chicago police for their hard work. I also want to applaud the citizen, a civilian, who risked his life to help in apprehending this armed suspect."

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