$2M bond for convicted felon charged with shooting CPD in Near West Side 'ambush attempt'
Officers were responding to domestic call, CPD says
CHICAGO (WLS) -- A convicted felon has been charged with shooting a Chicago police officer Friday on the Near West Side, according to police.
Jalen Vales, 27, was charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery of a peace officer, officials said.
The CPD officer was seriously wounded while responding to a domestic call just before 8:30 a.m. in the 1300-block of West Taylor Street.
Vales is at Mount Sinai Hospital for a psychological evaluation and did not appear in bond court Saturday. A judge set his bond at $2 million. He's scheduled to be in court on Tuesday.
This comes as we learn more about what happened leading up to the shooting Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown called an "attempted ambush."
Authorities said a woman called 911, claiming her daughter was texting her, saying that her live-in boyfriend, who was known to be armed, had assaulted her.
It became known in court Saturday that the woman had made six police reports against Vales for domestic violence incidents.
The girlfriend was at her apartment with Vales when they began arguing over an issue with a cell phone, officials said. She texted her mother to call the police, in fear that he would harm her.
Two uniformed officers then responded to the Taylor Street Apartments, taking the elevator up.
When the elevator door opened, Vales was hiding around a corner next to the elevators, prosecutors said. Armed with a nine-millimeter semi-automatic handgun, Vales yelled "there go police right there!" He jumped in front of the officers, pointed a handgun at them and opened fire multiple times.
WATCH: CPD Supt. Brown, Mayor Lightfoot speak at Stroger
A male officer who is a 15-year veteran of the department was shot five times, including once in his abdomen beneath his vest and twice in his right arm, officials said in court. The second officer was not struck.
CPD officers did not return fire. There were at least two other people inside the residence.
Brown said this was simply an ambush attempt and officers had no time to react.
"This was a straight up execution attempt. This officer did not unholster his weapon, he had no time to react. The elevator doors opened and the offender just started shooting. He tried to kill him," said John Catanzara, president of the Fraternal Order of Police.
A University of Illinois at Chicago officer also responded to the call and helped take the injured officer to Stroger hospital, "likely saving his life," Brown said.
"It highlights the bravery and courage our officers commit everyday," he added.
The officer was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital where he was listed in serious condition later Friday morning before undergoing surgery. He is now considered stable.
"He's recovering, but, more importantly, we are asking for prayers for this family," Brown said.
"We have to remember officers every single day are risking their lives for our safety and today underscores that," Mayor Lori Lightfoot said.
An area business owner said the officer was conscious after the shooting.
WATCH: Witness describes what she saw after officer shot
"We just saw a lot of police cars drive up, and they were coming from both directions," a woman who did not want to be identified said. "Police officers running inside, police officers running out and down the street -- at one point we saw two officers bring out another officer, and it appeared that he had been shot. There was blood on his shirt. He was walked out."
A crowd of police officers, Brown and Mayor Lori Lightfoot came to Stroger after the shooting.
The officer marks the sixth CPD officer shot so far this year.
Minutes after the shooting, over a dozen officers converged on a man seen lying shirtless on the ground with his hands on his head, according to video from the scene. He was taken into custody in the 1300-block of West Washburne Avenue and a gun was recovered after a search, Brown said.
