Chicago police say officers fatally shot knife-wielding man after failing to subdue him with a Taser
Chicago police officers shot and killed a knife-wielding man early Saturday after they failed to subdue him with a Taser, police said.
Officers had responded to a call about a person stabbed in Vittum Park around 1:40 a.m. and were speaking to a victim when an individual with a knife approached them, according to a statement from the Chicago Police Department.
The incident escalated when officers asked the man to drop the knife and he refused, Chicago Police Chief of Operations Brian McDermott said at a press conference Saturday morning.
An officer attempted to use a Taser to subdue the individual but was unsuccessful, at which point the man lunged at officers, police said. Officers then shot the man, striking him several times in the body.
The man was pronounced dead on the scene a short time later, according to police.
During a media availability Saturday afternoon, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said that during the struggle the knife wielding man stabbed a female police sergeant in her protective vest several times, CNN affiliate WLS-TV in Chicago reported.
Three officers were taken to a nearby hospital for observation, but their condition is unknown at this time, police said.
The incident is currently under investigation by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, which said the officers were equipped with body cameras. They will be placed on routine administrative leave for a period of 30 days per protocol in officer-involved shootings, according to police.
