Gunman in SUV shoots off-duty Chicago cop shot in face in Irving Park, then crashes into two pursuing squad cars as police open fire

A gunman in an SUV shot an off-duty Chicago police officer Tuesday afternoon in an apparent road rage incident in Irving Park, then led officers on a chase, hitting two squad cars as police fired at him.

The suspect was able to escape and the SUV was later found abandoned about three miles away by Northeastern Illinois University police.No one was in custody.

The off-duty probationary officer, 27, had been headed north on Elston when the SUV in front of her abruptly stopped at Addison Street around 3:10 p.m., police said in a statement. The driver produced a firearm and began firing.

The officer was shot in the face and was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where Police Supt. David Brown said her injuries weren’t thought to be life-threatening.

“She is talking, she apparently did not lose consciousness,” he said. “So thank goodness that she’s going to be able to recover.”

The officer didn’t appear to have pulled a gun or returned fire, Brown said. “Really, everywhere across this country, it seems personal conflicts have ended more and more with escalating violence,” he said. “So it’s a concern of ours.”

Officers tried to stop a car in the 5000 block of West Lawrence Avenue but it struck two squad cars as an one officer discharged their firearm, police said. No one was struck and no injuries were reported.

The car fled was was later located, unoccupied, in the 5800 block of North Drake Avenue.

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