EVANSTON, Ill. — An Evanston police officer on the street three days was shot during a confrontation Wednesday with a convicted felon, who also was shot, sending both men to hospitals with injuries, authorities said.
Police were not saying who fired which shots during the morning domestic violence call on the city's west side. In a news release, police described the scene as "highly volatile" and said police took "appropriate measures of self defense."
The rookie officer, whom police would not name, was shot in the arm, Cmdr. Tom Guenther said. A training officer also was at the scene working with the new officer, Guenther said. Staff at St. Francis Hospital in Evanston said the other man who was shot, Reggie Henley, was a patient there, but would not release his condition.
Guenther said officers were called to a two-story brick building holding at least two apartments in the 1500 block of Pitner Avenue, which borders Evanston Township High School, about 9:30 a.m. to investigate a domestic dispute that took place the night before.
A woman, apparently Henley's live-in girlfriend, told police Henley might have a gun. Officers approached the home, and at some point, shots were fired, Guenther said.
A handgun was taken from the scene, police said.
"He kind of got baptized by a very unfortunate circumstance," Guenther said of the new officer.
"There were additional experienced officers there who maintained the situation and exercised control."
The one-way street with mostly single-family homes remained blocked off by police Wednesday afternoon.
Guenther said no charges have been filed. Court records show Henley has convictions for possessing a firearm and drug crimes.