CFD chief, lieutenant attacked by man with knife after being lured into South Side home

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Two Chicago firefighters were rescued after being lured into a home and attacked by a man armed with a knife Tuesday afternoon, fire officials said.

Chicago police said the incident occurred in the 7700-block of South Marshfield Avenue at about 12:18 p.m.

Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said firefighters were called to a garage fire. After it was put out, a resident approached a battalion chief and said he wanted the department to check out a smell of gas inside of his home.

The chief asked a lieutenant to accompany him along with the resident, Langford said. The resident asked the chief to go first and the chief refused, telling the resident to go first and the firefighters would follow.

The resident used a power screw driver to remove a barricade to allow the chief and the lieutenant into the basement, Langford said. They did not smell any gas smell inside.

Langford said the chief and lieutenant realized the resident had gone back upstairs and when they went up, they encountered him in the kitchen armed with a knife and with the rear door blocked.

The resident ordered them back into the basement, Langford said. Instead, the chief and lieutenant fled to the front of the home, which was also barricaded.

The resident with the knife then chased them, and the chief and lieutenant started using furniture to keep him away as they radioed for assistance.

"They had the whole block blocked," said neighbor Rodolfo Juarez. "The cops, squad cars over here, squad cars over there, like it was a lot of them, man."

Police officers and firefighters were able to force their way in and rescue the firefighters, taking the resident into custody, Langford said.

The Office of Fire Investigations has determined that the garage fire appeared to be intentionally set.

Police said they found at least one hand gun and several knives in the building and that the resident is a convicted felon.

Neither firefighter trapped inside was injured. So far, the suspect has not been charged, but sources tell ABC7 the suspect does have a previous conviction for murder.