Markham officer dragged 800 ft shoots driver who tried to flee traffic stop, police say

MARKHAM, Ill. (WLS) -- An officer in south suburban Markham shot a driver who dragged him about 800 feet in an attempt to flee a traffic stop early Friday morning, police said.

Around 1:15 a.m., police pulled over the driver on a bridge over the Tri-State Tollway near 167th Street and Western Avenue for speeding. There were two female passengers in the white Chevy Impala.

Police said for some reason, the driver took off, dragging an officer along the ground on the passenger side. The officer grabbed his gun and fired three shots, striking the driver in the upper body. The passengers were not hurt.

The driver, a man in his 30s, was transported to the hospital, where he is listed in critical condition.

The officer was also taken to the hospital, treated for injuries to his leg and shoulder and later released, Markham Chief of Police Mack Sanders said. He is expected to be OK.

Illinois State Police temporarily closed the bridge for an investigation. Officers recovered a gun at the scene, which was visible under the Impala. It reportedly belongs to one of the people who was in the car.

Investigators interviewed the two female passengers Friday morning.

"Anytime there's an officer-involved shooting you have to come together. There's a lot of questions, I know, that have to be answered. We're willing to answer those questions because we take this situation serious. Standard operating procedure is that we turn everything over to the state police. We let them do their independent investigation they'll determine or find out exactly what happened," Sanders said.

Police said there is body-cam video of the incident from two other officers, but not from the officer who shot the driver.

He will be placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of the ISP Public Integrity Task Force's investigation.