The officer was at home in the 9600 block of South Princeton Avenue about noon when Willie Boswell, 21, Marquise Peppers, 18, and another man tried to break into his home, police said.
After Peppers pointed a handgun at the officer, the officer shot at him in fear for his life, police said. The suspects drove away in a stolen vehicle but were halted near 89th Street and Yale Avenue, where Boswell and Peppers were arrested.
Peppers, of the 1200 block of West 73rd Street, was shot in the back and was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in serious condition, police said at the time. Police said Sunday they had no updates on his condition.
Independent Police Review Authority spokesman Larry Merritt confirmed the officer-involved shooting, and said his department was notified just before 1 p.m.
Fraternal Order of Police spokesman Pat Camden defended the officer's actions, saying the 33-year-old officer was with his 7-year-old daughter at the time of the incident.
The officer saw a van parked in front of his house when someone rang the doorbell about noon, but he did not open the door, assuming the visitor was a solicitor, Camden said. He then heard someone trying to pry open the front door and saw the van outside pulling up to the side of the house, he said.
The officer sent his daughter to her bedroom and called 911 before going outside and through the side door, finding two men in front of his house, as well as another driving the van, Camden said.
One man ran northbound on Princeton Avenue, and the other ran toward the officer on his way into the van, Camden said.
As the man was getting into the van, he pointed a gun at the off-duty officer, who shot the man in his left shoulder, Camden said. The van then led police on a chase before crashing, he said.
Boswell, of the 1200 block of West 73rd Street, was charged with one count each of aggravated possession of a stolen vehicle, attempted residential burglary and possession of burglary tools. He was also charged with an issuance of a warrant and an out-of -state warrant.
Peppers has been charged with one count each of attempted residential burglary, aggravated assault and use of a deadly weapon, criminal trespass to vehicle and possession of burglary tools.
Both are scheduled to appear in bond court Sunday.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire - Copyright Chicago Sun-Times 2014.)
