2 Chicago Police Officers Struck And Killed By Passing Train
The officers were investigating a report of gunshots on the city’s South Side. An individual was later taken into custody and a weapon was recovered.
AP
LOADINGERROR LOADING
CHICAGO (AP) — Two Chicago police officers were fatally struck by a train Monday as they investigated a report of gunshots on the city’s far South Side.
Eduardo Marmolejo, 37, and Conrad Gary, 31, were pursuing a person who had headed toward train tracks and were hit shortly after 6 p.m. as the commuter train passed through the area, Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said.
Advertisement
“There was no stop at that location so the train was probably going somewhere between 60 and 70 miles per hour,” Johnson said during a news conference.
He said an individual was taken into custody and a weapon was recovered. He said the investigation was still in the early stages and that more details would be released at a later time.
Marmolejo had been with the department for 2½ years and Gary for 18 months, Johnson said.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who also spoke at the news conference, said the city had lost “two young men, both fathers with young families.”
Advertisement
“There are no words that can express the grief, the sense of loss. It just knocks you back on your heels,” he said.
Chicago police officers Eduardo Marmolejo, 36, and Conrad Gary, 31, have been identified as Monday's Far South Side train accident victims. Both men had less than 3 years on the force. https://t.co/EOQCKKbxthpic.twitter.com/EYO5pOCGpC
Chicago police use “ShotSpotter” technology, or sensors that monitor for the sound of gunfire and alert police. Johnson said the two officers went to the scene Monday after a “ShotSpotter” alert went out.
“It just highlights again how dangerous this job can be. I often say that the most dangerous thing a police officer can do is take a weapon off of an armed individual,” Johnson said.
The train that struck the officers was operated by a commuter rail line that links northern Indiana and Chicago, according to media reports.
Advertisement
Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the officers pursued the suspect on foot.
A devastating tragedy occurred tonight at 103rd and Cottage Grove where two of our Officers, investigating a shots fired call, were struck by a passing train. Please pray for our 5th District Police Officers and all of our Chicago Police family. pic.twitter.com/yRbR8xfkOS
In 2002, Chicago police officer Benjamin Perez was fatally struck by a commuter train while conducting surveillance on narcotics activity on the city’s West Side.
Two other Chicago officers besides Marmolejo and Gary were killed in the line of duty this year.
Officer Samuel Jimenez was killed in a shootout last month after he chased a gunman inside a hospital on Chicago’s South Side. The shooter also killed two other people — his ex-fiancee who was an emergency room doctor and a pharmacy resident — before taking his own life.
And in February, Cmdr. Paul Bauer was fatally shot while pursuing a suspect in the Loop business district.
“I think it’s really important that we put our arms around the Chicago Police Department and hold them up and support them at this critical juncture because we are so dependent on their professionalism and their sense of duty,” Emanuel said Monday night.
Advertisement
Two Chicago police officers chasing a man with a gun were killed in a “devastating tragedy” when they were struck by a train this evening on the Far South Side. Passengers on the Metra train waited hours while police investigated. https://t.co/MVf1dEOyKVpic.twitter.com/bLflNKypFi
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.