Police officers shot in St. Louis, Chicago

Four police officers were shot and injured in St. Louis and Chicago over the weekend when responding to calls, officials said.

Two St. Louis officers were shot by a gunman who then barricaded himself inside a home on Saturday. In Chicago, a gunman shot two officers there early Sunday after refusing to exit a vehicle during an overnight traffic stop.

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Chief John Hayden told reporters one officer was shot in the head and “very critically” injured, while the other officer was shot in the leg. The chief said these were the seventh and eighth officers shot on duty since June 1, the St. Louis Dispatch reported.

Hayden told reporters that the shooter had ordered a couple out of their home before barricading himself inside it. The officers were responding to a call about a shooting and searching for a victim when they were attacked. The reported victim from the call was never found. 

St. Louis police tweeted shortly after 5:30 a.m. that the suspect barricaded in the home was taken into custody. 

“We’re just trying to do our jobs,” the police chief said, adding that “at the end of the day, we’re trying to cope through a very trying summer.”

The barricaded subject from the 3700 block of Hartford has been taken into custody and the area has been rendered safe.

There are no further updates at this time, but we will provide information later today as it comes available. https://t.co/Lrlr7GlNaC

— St. Louis, MO Police (@SLMPD) August 30, 2020

In Chicago, two officers were shot at 2:33 a.m. on Sunday after they saw a suspect with a gun in the backseat of a vehicle. The officers were shot after breaking the windows of the vehicle to get to the suspect, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown told reporters. 

One of the officers was shot twice on the left side, was in serious condition and was going through surgery for lung and abdominal injuries. The second officer was shot in the left shoulder and was in good condition, Stroger Hospital’s Hadyn Hollister said during a press conference. 

A third officer arrived and shot the suspect, ending the encounter. The suspect was in critical condition, Brown said. 

“We gathered at Stroger Hospital overnight to support two of our officers who were shot while bravely protecting this city,” Brown tweeted. “Please keep these officers and their families in your thoughts as they recover from their injuries.”

We gathered at Stroger Hospital overnight to support two of our officers who were shot while bravely protecting this city. Please keep these officers and their families in your thoughts as they recover from their injuries. pic.twitter.com/mSGSFMfZXj

— Chicago Police Superintendent David O. Brown (@ChiefDavidBrown) August 30, 2020