Second Person Charged in 2017 Shooting of 2 Chicago Police Officers
A 25-year-old man accused of wounding two Chicago police officers in an ambush in Back of the Yards, then eluding law enforcement for more than seven years, was taken into custody on Thursday, police said.
Background
The ambush occurred on May 2, 2017. Tactical officers Leo Augle and Colin Ryan had been tailing a car suspected in an earlier shooting when a stolen minivan pulled up behind them around 9 p.m. at 43rd Street and Ashland Avenue. As the officers turned at the intersection, someone opened fire from the minivan with an assault rifle. Augle was struck in his back, and Ryan was shot in his hip and arm. Both survived.
Initial Investigation
Police did not release the name of the 17-year-old suspect, who was 17 at the time of the shooting. He faces two counts of attempted first-degree murder, and is scheduled to appear in court on Saturday. Detectives initially questioned three people of interest, but just one was arrested and charged – Angel Gomez, 18 at the time, believed to be the driver of the van. He was charged with two counts each of attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm, and four counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm. He pleaded guilty in 2021 to one count of aggravated discharge of a firearm and was sentenced to five years in prison.
Federal Charges
The officers fired through their windshield and hit the tires of their assailants’ vehicle, found abandoned a short distance away. Police initially thought it might have been an intentional assault on the officers, but later concluded the gunman mistakenly believed the officers’ van held rival gang members.
Recognizing the officers’ heroism
Augle and Ryan in 2018 received the Police Medal — the department’s highest honor — and the Superintendent’s Award of Valor. Each also received a Police Blue Star Award, which goes to officers wounded in the line of duty.
Current Status
The 25-year-old suspect was taken into custody on Thursday and is scheduled to appear in court on Saturday.
FAQs
* What charges are the suspect facing? He faces two counts of attempted first-degree murder.
* How long did the suspect elude law enforcement? More than seven years.
* What was the motive behind the ambush? Initially, it was thought to be an intentional assault on the officers, but later it was determined that the gunman mistakenly believed the officers’ van held rival gang members.
* What recognition did the officers receive for their heroism? They received the Police Medal, the Superintendent’s Award of Valor, and a Police Blue Star Award.
