Armed man shot by CPD officer after Back of the Yards struggle charged, $1M bond set
Man shot by cop was armed during shooting, police say
CHICAGO (WLS) -- A 23-year-old Hazel Crest man has been charged Sunday after a police-involved shooting in Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood last week.
The video in the player above is from a previous report.
A judge set bond at $1 million 23-year-old Jayden Higgs.
Higgs, who is still hospitalized, was shot in the head by a Chicago police officer following a struggle on the city's South Side Thursday night.
Police say Higgs was allegedly holding a gun when he was shot by the officer.
Two officers from the Community Safety Team responded just after 11 p.m. to a ShotSpotter alert, which alerts law enforcement of gunfire, in the 5300-block of South May Street and found a group of people at the location.
Video from the scene shows tension between police and bystanders.
Officers struggled with an armed individual, and an officer shot the person, CPD said.
The suspect, now identified as Higgs, was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition.
A weapon was recovered and there were no officers injured.
One witness described those tense moments before police arrived. He said he lives by the scene and had just gotten home from work, as people were gathered nearby.
"We heard them down there having a good time, and then after that we heard shots firing, and after that it was like total chaos, total chaos," Harry Williams said. "So we were sitting in our home, and we heard a couple 'pow, pow, pows,' and all of a sudden we heard like over a hundred shots. It had to be an automatic weapon or an assault rifle. But it was so loud. I told my family to duck, you know, this was so close to home. You really need to take care right now because this is way too close."
Broken glass, crime scene tape and a single shoe could be seen in the area the next day.
Higgs has been charged with two felony counts, including aggravated assault of a Chicago Police officer.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is investigating the incident. Anyone with information is asked to call COPA at 312-746-3609.
The officer involved will be placed on routine administrative duties for 30 days.
