Video: Chicago Police Officer Fires Through Windshield During Gunfight With Suspect

A shootout erupted when Chicago police responded to a domestic disturbance and were met with gunfire, with one officer returning fire by shooting through his cruiser's windshield.

What to know

  • Newly released body camera footage shows a Chicago police officer firing through his cruiser’s windshield after a suspect opened fire during a pursuit following a domestic disturbance call.
  • Officers encountered the suspect, who was later tied to an earlier shooting that wounded a woman, and exchanged gunfire as he fled down an alley.
  • The suspect was struck, apprehended after a brief chase and later jailed; the incident remains under investigation.

Body camera footage captured a Chicago police officer shooting through his cruiser's windshield when a suspect wanted in a previous shooting opened fire at police earlier this year.

The incident happened just after 7:45 Jan. 23 when two Chicago officers responded to a domestic disturbance call at a home, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) said in a news release that included body camera and other video footage from the encounter. Investigators later learned that the suspect, later identified as Pierre Davis, allegedly shot and wounded a woman in an earlier shooting, WBBM-TV reports.

When police closed in on the scene, they spotted Davis on the street following that earlier shooting, COPA stated. He turned down an alley, and officers followed in their cruisers.

As they pursued Davis, police came under fire and began shooting. Body camera footage captured one officer returning fire by shooting through his cruiser's windshield.

"Shots fired at police!" one officer is heard yelling in the bodycam footage.

Davis was struck in the exchange, but he kept running into an empty lot. Officers were able to catch up with him after a short distance, and he was taken into custody.

Davis was taken to the hospital in critical condition, according to WBBM. He has since been released and is being held in Cook County Jail until his trial.

The shooting is still under investigation.

About the Author

Joe Vince

Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe has worked on the company's city services publications. He began working at OFFICER.com as the assistant editor. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.
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