2 in custody after railcar burglary leads to chase, 5 officers injured; COPA investigating

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Two suspects are in custody after a burglary on the South Side Wednesday where five police officers were hurt, Chicago police said.

It was a wide ranging investigation as police investigated three different crime scenes.

Chicago police said that at about 5 a.m. officers were alerted to people stealing boxes from railcars in the area of the 5800-block of South Princeton Avenue.

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Officers approached the area and a suspect inside an SUV accelerated rapidly, hitting an officer, police said.

Officers then fired their weapons in the suspect's direction, police said. No one was struck by the gunfire, police said.

The SUV continued to drive toward responding officers, hitting a marked squad car, police said.

The suspect was taken into custody and two firearms were recovered from the vehicle, police said. The suspect was transported to the hospital with minor injuries from the crash, police said.

The officer struck by the vehicle was transported to a hospital in good condition and two additional officers were transported to a hospital for observation.

A second van was observed fleeing the scene and later located in the 7100-block of South Yale Avenue, police said.

Officers attempted a traffic stop and the van struck two squad cars, police said.

A 30-year-old suspect got out of the van as it was fleeing and was struck by the van, police said.

The van was later recovered unoccupied a short time later in the 7500-block of South State Street, police said.

The suspect in the van was transported to the hospital in critical condition, police said.

Two officers were transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries in good condition, police said.

Door camera video near 70th and Yale also shows what looks like a white van speeding away from the neighborhood as Chicago police arrive on scene.

ABC7 spoke with a neighbor Demetri Ware who said he's been here his entire life and said he was coming home from work Wednesday morning arrived to all of the police activity.

"I can barely get words," Ware said. "I'm smiling, but this isn't a good moment. This is my first time on camera. I'm nervous, you can hear it a little bit. Scary. Too close to home."

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The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is investigating the shots fired.

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