LITTLE VILLAGE — Interim Police Supt. John Escalante had just left the office and was on his way to a meeting Thursday night when the radio dispatcher described an armed robbery in progress near his route.
He sped off to the Little Village beauty supply store, in the 2200 block of South Pulaski Road, and arrived a little after 5:30 p.m., according to Anthony Guglielmi, Chicago Police Department spokesman.
He was the first officer on the scene.
The alleged robbers fled "moments before" Escalante and his aide got inside the business, Guglielmi said. The interim superintendent found some patrons in a room in the back, and after ensuring the building was safe and there were no injuries, he got a description of the alleged robbers and sent it out on police radio.
Police could not immediately confirm what had been taken from the business.
Escalante told officers arriving to the scene to canvas the area for the two men who fled down Pulaski, as he tended to the victims, Guglielmi said. Then once everyone had their orders, he moved on to his meeting.
It's not uncommon for the top cop to respond to calls like this, Guglielmi said: "He does this fairly frequently on his way to a meeting or on his way home.
"After all, he's a police officer first."
The owner of the beauty store, who confirmed the robbery, declined to comment immediately about the incident.
The incident was first noted by Twitter users who follow Chicago emergency scanners. "Car 3" is how Chicago Police refer to the superintendent, Guglielmi said.
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