Chicago police officer seriously injured in West Englewood shooting released from hospital
Police shot in Chicago: 3 officers shot in city in last week
CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Chicago police officer critically injured in a shooting in West Englewood last week was released from University of Chicago Medical Center Monday morning.
Fernanda Ballesteros left the Hyde Park medical facility about 10:30 a.m. She stood and tearfully waved to the officers who came to see her off, as her partner helped her in a wheelchair.
She also got out of that wheelchair to hug Officer Carlos Yanez, who was seriously wounded when his partner, Ella French, was killed in a shooting last summer.
WATCH: Officer seriously injured in West Englewood shooting released from hospital
A mariachi band, bagpipes and flowers also welcomed Ballesteros outside.
CPD Superintendent David Brown said at about 5:42 p.m. Wednesday, two officers, who were in uniform and driving a marked squad car, attempted a traffic stop near 61st and Paulina streets. The car they were attempting to stop at first sped off, then came back around and slowed down so they could pull up parallel to the officers' car and opened fire, striking the female officer, who was the driver of the squad car.
SEE MORE: Chicago police officer shot, injured in West Englewood, CPD says
"They never completed the traffic stop. They saw the offenders do something at 61st Street, and they were following them," said 15th Ward Alderman Ray Lopez, who represents the ward where the shooting occurred and where the wounded officer's family lives.
WATCH: 25 CPD officers shot at, 5 struck by gunfire so far in 2022
"Then, as they were following them, the offender's vehicle turned, being almost perpendicular to the police officers' car, and then started shooting," he said, citing information he received from high-ranking police.
Ballesteros' partner jumped into the driver's seat and rushed her to University of Chicago Hospital, Brown said.
RELATED: Chicago police ID suspect in shooting of officer in West Englewood; 2 at large
The injured officer's partner was also checked out at Northwestern and then released, with officials saying he was not injured in any way.
Police sources said a 28-year-old man with a history of gun violence has been identified as one of the suspects in the shooting.
WATCH: Supt. Brown's full update
Ballesteros shared a message from her hospital bed.
"Most importantly, thank you to Officer Young, my partner, who had my back and carried me to safety. I'm forever grateful for his quick thinking and swift response. You were my guardian angel that night," she said. "I am choosing to see the light in this dark, and I will grow stronger, both physically and mentally, from this tragedy."
RELATED: 2 suspects at large after Chicago police officer injured in West Englewood shooting
Another Chicago police officer was seriously injured in a shooting in West Englewood Sunday.
Ballesteros' incident was just one of three shootings in the past week that put law enforcement officers in the hospital in Chicago.
Another was a U.S. Marshal.
While this is certainly a happy moment for Officer Ballesteros and her family, the officer shot Sunday remains in the hospital in serious condition. Although, he is stable.
"To my fellow brother in blue that was recently injured in the line of duty: Don't ever feel alone because you have a whole line of support from the blue family that wishes you a speedy recovery," Ballesteros said.
Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report
