PILSEN— A 19-year-old woman was shot by police after pointing a BB gun at cops Thursday in Pilsen, police said.
Police responded to a call of a "man with a gun" in the 1000 block West Cullerton Avenue around 10:40 p.m. Thursday, according to a statement from police.
When officers arrived they saw a person matching the description running from the scene, police said. They got out of their car and chased the person into an alley near in the 1000 block of 19th Street, police said.
There they found the person hiding behind a garbage can in the alley. The person peered from the hiding spot and pointed the gun at police, who responded by firing their guns, police said.
Officers believed the victim was a man, but when they approached they discovered it was a woman, police said.
The 19-year-old woman was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition. No officers were injured and a BB gun was recovered on the scene, police said.
Pat Camden, Fraternal Order of Police spokesman, said the gun was an exact replica of a semiautomatic handgun.
"The question becomes 'Why she would run from the scene with a toy gun?'" Camden. "It's a very simple rule for survival: Stop and drop the gun when you see police.
"The police have no way of knowing what that weapon is you have in your hand and they're not going to wait to find out," Camden said.
"Obviously, someone else thought it was a gun because they called 911. That thought's in your head. Now you see someone running with a gun, then you see someone pointing a gun. What are you supposed to think?"
