CHICAGO — Police shot and killed a man in Austin early Sunday after he allegedly pointed a gun toward officers.
About 2:30 a.m. Sunday, officers in the Austin district were called to check on a disturbance in the 5400 block of West Madison Street, police said in a statement. When they arrived, officers noticed that one of the men on the scene had a gun in his waistband.
The man tried to run away, police said, and when officers went to stop him, he pointed his gun toward them. At that point, one of the officers opened fire, striking the man.
The man was later identified as 37-year-old Gary Smith, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office. Smith was placed in police custody and taken to Loyola University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 4:37 a.m. Sunday, authorities said.
Officers recovered a gun at the scene.
Pat Camden, a police union spokesman, said Smith carried a Glock semiautomatic handgun.
According to Camden, there were two groups of people gathered on the street early Sunday — one on each side of the sidewalk. Camden said Smith was leaving his group and walking toward the other when officers spotted him.
Police told Camden that Smith had his hand on his gun as he moved across the street. When one of the officers grabbed Smith's shirt to stop him, Camden said, Smith pulled the gun and the officers opened fire.
No police or bystanders were injured.
The Independent Police Review Authority is investigating.
