Chicago City Wire

Mayor candidate Paul Vallas expresses his disappointment at Chicago police officers being shot while on duty.

Democrat Paul Vallas said in a tweet that another Chicago police officer has been shot in the line of duty, just days after another officer was shot in the same neighborhood. Vallas is the former CEO of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and is running for mayor of Chicago this election cycle.

"3 years of browbeating @Chicago_Police Officers has consequences. Another CPD Officer shot today in Englewood. The 2nd this week. Unacceptable! My heart goes out to the Officer and his team members. We MUST support these brave men & women,” tweeted Mayor candidate Vallas.

Three police officers were in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood on Sunday when they attempted to make a traffic stop around 2 pm, NBC reported. The driver of that vehicle began firing shots at the police officers, and one officer was struck twice. He was transported to the hospital in serious but stable condition. The officers returned fire and struck the assailant once. The suspect was taken to a hospital in critical condition. The officer who shot the assailant will be placed on administrative duties for 30 days, per protocol.

"In less than a week, this is the second Chicago Police officer who has been shot on duty, in addition to a U.S. Marshal," Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a statement. "I am grateful that the officer is in serious but stable condition, and I have been in constant communication with Superintendent Brown as CPD continues its investigation. Let me say again, every single day, on every watch, our brave men and women of the Chicago Police Department risk their lives for our safety. But I must ask again, when is enough, enough? Are we not fed up with the catastrophic consequences of having too many illegal guns readily available to criminals, the mentally ill, and juveniles? How many times must I, and my fellow mayors across the country, plead with the Senate to take action and end the easy access to illegal guns? How many officers and residents must be victims of gun violence before we act?"

On the evening of June 1, a Chicago police officer and her partner were attempting to conduct a traffic stop in West Englewood, but the people in the vehicle fled from the scene, NBC reported. The suspects then brought their car alongside the police car and opened fire. The police officer was shot in the shoulder, and bullet fragments also struck her head. Her partner managed to drive her to the hospital, where she was initially listed in critical condition but has since been upgraded to serious condition. The suspects fled from the scene, crashed their vehicle, fled from the vehicle, and have not been apprehended.

In 2021, 76 Chicago police officers were shot or shot at, Fox News reported. Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said at a press conference at the end of the year, "No day is the same for law enforcement. Their actions are a reminder that no matter the task, no matter the risk, Chicago police officers do the most good for the people of this great city."