Englewood Police Shooting : Officer Targeted in Drive-By
A Chicago Police officer narrowly escaped injury Wednesday night when gunmen opened fire on an unmarked squad car in Englewood—marking the third officer-targeted incident this year in a neighborhood where gun violence has surged 21% since June.
CHICAGO—Shots pierced the twilight air at 7 p.m. Wednesday as two assailants stepped from a vacant lot on West 60th Street and unleashed gunfire at a passing police vehicle. The officer inside, whose identity remains undisclosed, accelerated to safety unharmed—a rare stroke of luck in a community reeling from six shootings in the past week alone.
The Attack : Brazen Ambush in Broad Daylight
Chicago Police Department (CPD) reports confirm the officer was driving eastbound near South Throop Street when three individuals loitering near an overgrown lot drew suspicion. Without warning, two produced handguns and fired multiple rounds at the unmarked car. Though the vehicle’s damage status is unclear, the officer immediately called for backup. Despite a swift tactical response, the suspects vanished—a pattern in a district where clearance rates for nonfatal shootings hover below 15%.
“This isn’t random—it’s a deliberate challenge to law enforcement,” retired CPD Superintendent Eddie Johnson told the Sun-Times. “When offenders shoot at police in daylight, they’re declaring they own these streets”
Area One detectives are scouring surveillance footage and witness accounts, but no weapon has been recovered, and motives remain unknown.
Englewood’s Relentless Cycle of Violence
Wednesday’s assault punctuated 48 hours of bloodshed across the South Side community:
- Ogden Park massacre: Three victims—including a 32-year-old woman shot in the chest—were gunned down near a playground on June 25 as children scrambled for cover.
- Delivery driver robberies: Masked crews in black hoodies have carjacked at least four couriers near South Ada Street since mid-June, stealing vehicles and packages.
- Elijah Suggs’ unsolved murder: Four months after surveillance video captured his killer at 66th and Morgan Streets, no arrests have been made.
Resident Marcus Freeman, whose home sits blocks from the latest shooting, described a neighborhood “drowning in trauma.” “Our kids memorize the sound of gunfire before they learn algebra. Police patrol like it’s a combat zone—but where’s the peace?”.
Controversy Shadows CPD After Partner Kills Officer
The Englewood shooting amplifies scrutiny of CPD following Officer Krystal Rivera’s June death—fatally shot in the back by her partner, Carlos Baker, during a chaotic pursuit. Rivera’s family is demanding Illinois State Police take over the investigation, citing Baker’s history of misconduct complaints .
“He flashed a gun at a woman in a bar while on probation in 2022,” said family attorney Antonio Romanucci. “Had he been fired then, Krystal would be alive”. CPD has sealed Baker’s disciplinary records amid an ongoing probe, fueling accusations of opacity.
Beyond Policing : Grassroots Efforts Confront Trauma
While CPD deploys additional patrols, groups like urban farm Growing Home attack violence’s roots through job training and mental health support. “You can’t handcuff poverty,” said director Jamila Trimuel, whose team transformed vacant lots into community gardens. “We’re planting opportunity where others see despair”.
Yet resources remain scarce. Lindblom Math and Science Academy students recently rallied for beloved dean Shohn Williams after his sudden dismissal—eliminating a trusted mentor in a district where teens face carjacking charges and funeral vigils.
CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling has not addressed Rivera’s case or the Englewood attack publicly. Detectives continue pursuing leads but confirm no suspects are in custody. For residents like Freeman, solutions demand more than badges: “We need parks lit, schools funded, and jobs paying living wages. Bullets fill voids we’ve ignored for decades”