CITY HALL — When Abdullah Beyah jumped into harm's way, dodging bullets to catch a murder suspect, the only thing on his mind was the oath he took to serve and protect, he said.
The incident from August 2012 earned him the 2014 Lambert Tree Award, one of the two highest awards given to members of the Chicago Police and Fire departments.
"We responded to shots being fired, multiple shots... those shots could've went anywhere. .... You know someone's life could be in jeopardy even if you don't know the situation right away," Beyah, 38, of Chatham, said Tuesday at the award ceremony.
That night, Beyah and his partner had been assigned to a spot near the 7900 block of South Paulina Street after residents warned police of a possible shooting. They arrived at an alley blocked by several dumpsters, a known tactic to mark a getaway route before a shooting.
"We moved the dumpsters and we gave word over the air that this was happening, and as we were doing that we heard shots go off [around] the 7800 block of Marshfield," Beyah recalled.
Moments later they saw a man carrying a gun and wearing a mask dart down the block and began to chase him.
"He jumps over the gate into the backyard and I jump out of my car, jump over the gate and chase him. I'm about 10-15 feet behind him. He runs back west through the gangway," Beyah said.
As Beyah got closer to the shooter, the man fired at him.
"I lost sight of him for like two seconds, and as soon as I turned the corner about 10-15 feet behind him he turns and points a gun at me and starts firing," Beyah said. "It was a pretty traumatic incident. All my momentum was going forward because I was very close to catching him. I didn't think that he was going to pull out a gun and start shooting."
"I threw my hand up to kind of shield my face because I just knew I was about to get hit. I went down on my knees and came up with my firearm and we started exchanging fire. I immediately looked for cover but there was no cars on that side of the street so I had no cover between me and him. I thank God all my academy training kind of kicked into gear," Beyah said.
"I started backpedaling, sidepedaling while shooting, going to the other side of the street to get cover," he said. The exchange of gunfire continued until several other officers joined the chase and found the shooter lying on the side of a building with a gun in his hand and several gunshot wounds.
Officers found a man fatally shot not far from the incident and recovered a 9mm semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine from the shooter, who was charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder of a police officer and aggravated discharge of a handgun at an officer.
The man fatally shot was identified as Brian Nailer, 31, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.
"I'm very surprised I didn't get hit. That's why the first thing I did was throw up my hand to shield my face from taking the shot. I just knew I was going to get hit because we were that close," Beyah said, admitting the only thing on his mind was his family.
"The academy does an incredible job of training police officers for these type of incidents. You learn in the academy, you learn while working on the street," Beyah said. "I have to say thank you to every single partner that I've ever worked with, who I've learned from and learned how to be the police and learned how to do what I was able to do that day. I wish they were here right alongside me receiving an award because they're all so deserving."
The incident was the first time Beyah was shot at, something he wouldn't care to go through again, he said. He said he was accustomed to gun violence growing up in Hyde Park and attending Kenwood Academy.
"I was born and raised in the city of Chicago. I've seen people shot; I've experienced that. I've been in all kinds of situations," Beyah said, adding that he lost an uncle, who was shot during a robbery, and saw people shot outside of his high school.
His mom, Cheryl Beyah, said she was extremely proud of her son, though hearing the story of his heroics really scared her.
"I never thought that my children would grow up to be on TV or to be famous or even have enough courage to go beyond and I'm glad he is," she said. "He's been that person all his life. He likes to help. He likes to go beyond, but I never thought he would go this beyond.
"Chicago's kind of scary. I'm proud that he's out there, but I pray for him all the time."
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