Two men are dead after a shooting on the Northwest Side early Friday that involved an off-duty police officer.
It happened in the 4700 block of West Belmont Avenue at about 2:40 a.m., NBC5 reported.
Two unidentified men in their 20s were killed, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office. The exact circumstances of the shooting were not yet known, but the officer was not injured, officials said.
Chicago Police spokeswoman Monique Bond said that the officer, who was driving a 2003 Hummer, pulled up next to a white pickup at a stoplight. The officer said the men in the pickup raised weapons at him, so he fired his gun.
Bond said it was too early to tell whether the two men fired any shots in return.
"We do know that the officer, in fear of his life ... potentially this could have been a robbery on the officer and he had to protect himself," Bond said.
Police are investigating whether the men intended to carjack the officer's vehicle.
"Based on the type of vehicle the officer it had, the time it occurred and the isolated nature of the intersection, it could very well be that reason," Bond said.
The pickup the men were driving had a firefighter insignia on the plates and a special license number, but fire officials said the person driving the vehicle was not affiliated with the fire department.
Although a car that was somehow part of the shooting had firefighter memorial license plates, "we have checked with the police department and our own personnel department," fire department spokesman Larry Langford said, "and that vehicle is not owned by a firefighter."
Langford pointed out that Illinois license plates with a firefighter memorial design can be purchased by anyone.
Officials said the officer involved in the incident has a clean record.
Copyright 2006 by NBC5.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
ma police, boston ma police, massachusetts police, massachusetts police, mass state police, mass police, ma, mass, massachusetts, massachusetts, massachutes, massachusetts law, massachusetts polece, police, officer, police officer, cops, police gear, law enforcement, police duty gear, state police, sheriff, law, police supply, police agency directory, police agency, police department, traffic officer, police dept, state trooper, dispatcher, massachusetts county sheriff, massachusetts sheriff, massachusetts department of corrections, ma doc, doc, dept of corrections, police information, civil service, ma civil service, massachusetts crime, police training, police academy, ma police academy, massachusetts officers, masscop, masscops, mpa, bpa, ibpoa, police association, massachusetts police news, massachusetts crime news, mass most wanted, police career information, police patrol, police administration, police books, crime scene training, police discussion, crime discussions, cops
About MassCops, the home for Massachusetts law enforcement.
The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network opened in 1998 and is now a part of the New England Police Network The site is a pro-police discussion forum intended for sworn police officers and civilian law enforcement officials as well as those interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement here in Massachusetts.
The goal of The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network is to provide an informal network of law enforcement officials here in Massachusetts for educational and informational purposes.
The forum covers many topics such as Police Related News Articles, Agency & Profession Discussions, Police Training as well as Law Enforcement Career Information.
The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network and The New England Police Network (NEPN) and it's network sites are privately owned websites/domains and are not affiliated with or endorsed by any government association or agency.
MassCops (masscops.com) and (masscop.com) are privately owned are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Massachusetts Coalition of Police (masscop.org)
ma police, boston ma police, massachusetts police, massachusetts police, mass state police, mass police, ma, mass, massachusetts, massachusetts, massachutes, massachusetts law, massachusetts polece, police, officer, police officer, cops, police gear, law enforcement, police duty gear, state police, sheriff, law, police supply, police agency directory, police agency, police department, traffic officer, police dept, state trooper, dispatcher, massachusetts county sheriff, massachusetts sheriff, massachusetts department of corrections, ma doc, doc, dept of corrections, police information, civil service, ma civil service, massachusetts crime, police training, police academy, ma police academy, massachusetts officers, masscop, masscops, mpa, bpa, ibpoa, police association, massachusetts police news, massachusetts crime news, mass most wanted, police career information, police patrol, police administration, police books, crime scene training, police discussion, crime discussions, cops