WGN Investigates has a unique, firsthand look at the challenges police face on the front lines of the war on crime in a community distrustful of police officer.
Thirty-five miles south of Chicago’s glittering skyline you’ll find a community once labeled one of the “poorest in country.” Ford Heights hasn’t been able to afford its own police force in more than a decade. The village pays the Cook County Sheriff $3,000 per month to patrol its streets.
A simple traffic stop this summer quickly escalated when police say a man with a gun ran into a wooded area and pointed the weapon back at the officer who was giving chase. The officer fired several shots. Thankfully, no one was injured.
But as the video shows, split-second decisions by the officers at the scene, a suspect on the run and a community filled with fear and frustration could’ve easily exploded into an even more dangerous situation for police and the public.
