Chicago Police Fatally Shoot Motorist After Chase, Three Officers Injured In Crash

A motorist was shot and killed by police early Monday after allegedly using his vehicle "as a weapon" and injuring three Chicago Police officers on the South Side.

Just after midnight, police attempted to pull over a vehicle for a traffic violation in the 7900 block of South Stony Island Avenue, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The motorist refused to stop, and fled from police until striking a squad car assisting in the pursuit in the 700 block of West 91st Street. The suspect's car then burst into flames.

Despite the fire, police issued a statement saying the suspect continued to fight police:

The force of the impact caused the offender's vehicle to catch fire and two officers involved sustained non-life threatening injuries. The offender's vehicle was stopped and officers ordered the subject to exit at which time the offender began moving his vehicle in an attempt to flee again.

The Offender put the vehicle in reverse and, using it as a weapon, rammed it into another
assisting squad car, pinning a third officer who was exiting his vehicle. As the offender continued to move the vehicle back and forth, refusing to comply with officer's request to stop, assisting officers in fear of the lives of officers on the scene discharged their weapons and fatally wounded the offender.

Garfield Romel-King, 32, was pronounced dead on the scene. King was on parole for a drunk driving conviction and also served time for drug possession, aggravated battery on a police officer and burglary, according to the Tribune.

King's passenger, a 19-year-old woman, was pulled from the burning vehicle by officers and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in critical condition. She also suffered a gunshot wound.

Three officers were also hospitalized. One officer who was pinned by King's vehicle and two others in the squad car that was initially struck. They were listed in good-to-fair condition, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Those on the scene shared a different story of what happened.

"They were going up and down chasing them and then next thing we know we heard a crash so we all started running that way," Margaret Robinson, the suspect's cousin, told NBC Chicago. "We noticed he was way away from his car so he must have jumped out and started running and it's like they shot him down."

Another reported relative on the scene told the Tribune that "there must have been about 50 shots fired" and also suspected that King fled from the vehicle when he was shot.

NBC Chicago shared some video from the scene:

Comments

[Rubius Hagrid]

09:57 PM on 08/23/2010

Only CRIMINALS run from and then try to run over police.

[Superb1]

12:56 PM on 08/23/2010

Another execution? So the offender put the car in drive and then reverse repeatedly? Something doesn't smell right here.

[Meggie]

11:37 AM on 08/23/2010

Sad sad CPD. If they'd quit having to spend so much money on court settlements after skirmishes like this, they might be able to afford some new technology that would allow better results when they start these chases.
But heck, what's a few million here $20 million there when it's the taxpayers who are paying and not the cops?

[katok]

11:20 AM on 08/23/2010

So if I get the story straight, they were chased, they ran, were rammed by squad car, police shot the presumed innocent passenger and killed the driver. Sounds like a completely innocent arrest to me. Why were they being chased? Hope they robbed a bank at least.

[gascelebrations]

10:44 AM on 08/23/2010

As well they should have. If you're going to attempt to run over people, then you are an immediate threat to the lives of others. Bye-bye.

[GravitonX]

10:44 AM on 08/23/2010

Chicago Police are out of control.

[gregcurts]

11:02 AM on 08/23/2010

Listen to Police Scanners and you will find that it is the Citizens of Chicago who are out of control.

[Meggie]

11:41 AM on 08/23/2010

That may well be true, but if it were true in this case there would not be so many bystanders contradicting the police accounts. The man cannot be still in his car trying to drive it AND running away. And I think the '50 shots fired' thing will be quite easy to cooberate.
They do themselves no favors when they really are in a bad situation by making stuff up in a case like this. The guy was not an angel, true, but the outcome will cost taxpayers a bundle. It's time these cops get some training so they know how to handle situations - at the very least!

[KataVideo]

02:00 PM on 08/23/2010

there is violence, gang activity and substance abuse running rampant through areas of that city, at least according to the headlines. that's on the criminals, no one is forcing them to misbehave.
and yet, the chicago police appear to be a completely ineffective deterrent to crime and a completely ineffective enforcer of law and order. that's on the cops.

[vnmous1]

11:13 AM on 08/23/2010

Are you out of your friggin' mind? They may be, but most certainly not in this case, so find another place to vent. IF this is how it went down, it's justified.

[GravitonX]

11:18 AM on 08/23/2010

Americans love Rambo.

[Meggie]

11:38 AM on 08/23/2010

Not if the guy was out of his car and running. That kinda puts a few giant holes in the "official" version.