A University of Chicago police officer shot and seriously wounded a 21-year-old student who was allegedly wielding a metal pipe Tuesday evening (University of Chicago Police)
A police officer at the University of Chicago shot and seriously wounded a 21-year-old student who was wielding a metal pipe Tuesday evening, according to media reports.
It was believed to be the first police shooting in the school’s history, Fox 32 Chicago reported.
“Sir, I’m going to need you to drop that weapon. Drop that weapon,” the officer is heard saying on a police video supplied by the university. “Don’t come at me! Don’t come at me!”
As the unidentified student continues advancing toward the officer, the officer fires a shot, striking the student in a shoulder. The student screams, then shouts “I’ll see you in hell, I’ll see you in heaven.”
"Sir, I’m going to need you to drop that weapon. Drop that weapon. Don’t come at me! Don’t come at me!"
University officials said in an email to the Chicago Tribune that three university officers had responded to a report of a burglary just before 10:15 p.m. in the city's Hyde Park neighborhood.
The officers reportedly saw the male student breaking car and apartment windows with the pipe. The student charged at police when they ordered him to drop the pipe, the email said.
One of the officers fired, hitting the student in a shoulder. The student was taken to a hospital in serious condition.
Chicago police and the university's Department of Safety and Security are investigating. The officer has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
The officer fired once, the university said, adding that the officer has been on the school’s force for two years, and has undergone 40 hours of crisis intervention training and eight hours of mental health first aid training, the Tribune reported.
The student was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where his condition was stable as of Wednesday evening, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
On Wednesday, University President Robert J. Zimmer and Provost Daniel Diermeier sent a message to the university community regarding the shooting. It read, in part: "This is a difficult incident for our community, and our concern is with all of the individuals involved and their families."
The message confirmed that the suspect was a student at the university, and pledged that more information would be released about the incident as it becomes available.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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