Accused carjacker shoots police officer in struggle after crash, Illinois cops say

An Illinois police officer was shot during a struggle with an accused carjacker, officials said.

At about 3:40 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 26, police officers in Bedford Park — a suburb of Chicago — responded to the scene of a vehicle crash, the department said in a news release. The vehicle had been stolen in a carjacking earlier in Chicago, and video captured by a surveillance camera showed two suspects running away after the crash, police said.

The officers spotted two people “emerge from a grassy area” and get into a vehicle outside a gas station, the release said. Police say the officers confronted the two people, a struggle ensued and one of them opened fire, shooting an officer multiple times.

Investigators say the accused shooter was arrested and two guns were recovered at the scene.

The officer was taken to a hospital for treatment and was reported in stable condition, police said.

Bedford Park is roughly 15 miles southwest of downtown Chicago.