CPD officer fatally shot teen who allegedly tried to rob him in Hazel Crest

HAZEL CREST, Ill. (WLS) -- An off-duty Chicago police officer fatally shot a teenager Tuesday night while he was trying to buy a computer from that teenager in south suburban Hazel Crest.

At around 9 p.m. in front of a vacant house on Birchwood Drive, the off-duty officer was approached by two men who said they were the online sellers the officer had been communicating with.

"One of the subjects pulled a gun, and they proceeded to go through his pockets while they had the gun on him and take all of his personal possessions out of his pocket," Hazel Crest Police Chief Mitchell Davis said in a press conference.

Police said that the officer fired his weapon when the pair tried to take his badge and gun. According to police, one of the suspects was hit and killed, and the other fled the scene.

"I heard one, two, three gunshots," Hazel Crest resident John A. Smith said. "And I say uh-oh, that's a small caliber weapon. And it's close."

When Hazel Crest police arrived on the scene, the officer was standing with his hands up and his gun was on the roof of his car. Police said the dead suspect was found a few yards away, holding a gun. The officer's badge and money were alongside the suspect.

"Officer is totally a victim in this process," said Hazel Crest Police Chief Mitchell Davis.

Two investigations are ongoing. Hazel Crest police are investigating the armed robbery and the Illinois State Police Task Force of Public Integrity is investigating the police-involved shooting.

The Chicago police officer has been placed on desk duty for 30 days, per CPD protocol.