Young Chicago police officer who 'courageously protected this city' shot to death in Chatham, 2 in custody
The on-duty shooting occurred after 8 p.m. in the 8000 block of South Ingleside Avenue after police stopped a vehicle with three occupants. The 26-year-old officer, Enrique Martinez, was one month shy of completing three years on the job.
By Tom Schuba and Emmanuel Camarillo
Nov 5, 2024, 9:32am CST
Chicago police at the scene where an officer and a civilian were shot Monday evening in the 8200 block of South Ingleside Avenue in Chatham on the South Side.
In a burst of “rapid fire” a suspect fatally shot someone riding in his vehicle and a Chicago police officer during a traffic stop in Chatham Monday night, police said.
The 26-year-old officer, Enrique Martinez, was pronounced dead at 8:14 p.m. at the University of Chicago Medical Center, only minutes after the shooting, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Officer Martinez was a “hero” who was “working to make this city safer,” according to a Facebook post from the Fraternal Order of Police.
He had his whole life and career ahead of him, the post read.
“Tonight, tomorrow and for eternity, we honor his sacrifice! Rest easy hero. We’ll hold the line from here,” the post said.
“He was a proud individual, very hard working, and he gave his life for this city,” Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling told reporters outside the University of Chicago Medical Center early Tuesday.
The slain 6th District officer would have marked three years on the job in December.
The attack unfolded after officers stopped a vehicle with three occupants about 8 p.m. in the 8000 block of South Ingleside, Snelling said.
As officers approached the vehicle one of the occupants opened fire on Martinez, Snelling said, adding that “it sounded like rapid fire.” The officer was struck multiple times. One of the occupants of the vehicle, who remained unidentified, was also struck and killed by the gunfire.
Dozens of police stand vigil outside University of Chicago Medical Center in Hyde Park, where a fellow officer who was wounded on duty was taken.
The shooter ran out from the vehicle after trying and failing to drive away, Snelling said. He was taken into custody after a brief foot chase and search of the area. The third person in the vehicle, who was in the back seat, was also arrested.
Police rushed Martinez to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, Snelling said.
Officers recovered a handgun on the occupant of the vehicle who was fatally shot, Snelling said. Officers also recovered a semiautomatic weapon with an extended magazine on the scene.
One officer discharged their weapon but Snelling said investigators are still working to piece together which officer it was. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability said it was investigating.
The shooting was captured on frantic police dispatches that were at times drowned out by screaming and radio interference. “We are transporting one [police officer] to the University of Chicago, he is struck,” another officer said. “… Block the streets!”
Police reported to a dispatcher that the two surviving suspects tried to flee in a damaged Ford Explorer, leaving the other suspect dead at the scene of the shooting.
The front seat passenger was armed with an “automatic weapon,” an officer said over the radio. Two firearms were found at the scene.
Minutes before the shooting, a woman reported that she had shot and wounded someone who tried to break into her Kia Sol in the 8200 block of South Ingleside Avenue, two blocks south of the deadly attack on police. An officer later reported over the radio that the shooting wasn’t “bonafide,” indicating that a gunshot victim wasn’t found.
There was a large police presence outside the medical center in Hyde Park late Monday night. Officers both in and out of uniform were seen embracing each other, while others were heard shouting.
“Our officers go out and they face this type of danger every single day,” Snelling told reporters. “This work is unpredictable and we never know what’s in store for our officers when they’re out there tying to keep the public safe. And just remember in a city where our officers are not safe it’s going to be hard for everyone else to be safe.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson said during the news conference the young officer “courageously protected this city” and called on all residents in the city to pray for his family and put their arms around the police department.
“This tragic loss cuts deep, the wound is severe,” Johnson said. “The only way we’ll get through this tragic loss is if we put our arms around one another and recognize the value, the bravery of our police department, who put their lives on the line for us every day.”
In a Tuesday morning statement, Johnson added: “I am deeply heartbroken that we lost a member of the Chicago Police Department yesterday. The entire city of Chicago joins me in mourning this profound loss.”
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