By Bob Bong
A Blue Island man was charged last week with attempted murder in the shooting of a Bedford Park police officer in the early morning hours of November 26.
Raul Perez, 24, of Blue Island, was charged with one count of attempted first degree murder of a police officer, one count of attempted aggravated vehicular hijacking, and one count of armed habitual criminal, police said.
A second man, Luis Gonzalez, 22, of Chicago, was charged with one count of attempted aggravated vehicular hijacking, police said.
The wounded officer, whose name was not released, underwent successful emergency surgery at Loyola University Medical Center and is recovering.
Bedford Park Police Chief Tom Hansen said in a release that the wounded officer had many years of service with the Bedford Park Police Department.
Hansen said the officer was shot while investigating a stolen vehicle crash.
The incident began when police responded to reports of a crash in the 6700 block of Archer about 3:40 a.m. on November 26.
Police found an unoccupied vehicle with heavy damage just off the roadway. It appeared that the vehicle had struck landscaping bricks near the Bedford Park District’s running path and then ran into a trash bin in the Municipal Building’s parking lot. The municipal complex includes the police station.
The vehicle involved was reported stolen in an aggravated vehicular hijacking in Chicago.
Video surveillance footage showed two people fleeing the scene of the crash on foot southbound on Archer towards Roberts Road.
A brief time later, officers observed two people emerge from a grassy area near Fire Station 1, across the street from Speedway, and then enter a vehicle parked next to a gas pump at the gas station.
Police approached the two people in the car and one of them would not comply with commands and began physically resisting the officers.
A struggle ensued between that suspect and the officers. During the struggle, that suspect produced a handgun and fired five shots at one of the officers. He was struck by multiple bullets.
The wounded officer received emergency first aid on the scene from fellow officers and Bedford Park paramedics and he was then transported to Loyola University Medical Center for treatment.
Hansen said two firearms were recovered at the scene.
Perez is being held at Cook County Jail. He was scheduled to be in court Tuesday at the Bridgeview Courthouse.
Gonzalez is also being held at Cook County Jail. He had a scheduled court date on Tuesday at the Bridgeview Courthouse and has another date scheduled for December 12.