A retired Deputy Police Chief of Detectives in Chicago should be glad that gun carry law reform has been passed. He was shot recently and had to return fire. He wounded his 21-year-old assailant, who was later arrested.
Officers walked in and out of the park’s stadium south of 82nd, where a retired deputy police chief had exchanged gunfire with a robber during an exercise session for senior citizens about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.
The retired officer, Fred Coffey, 72, was hit in the arm. The robber, 21, suffered a more serious wound in the lower body, according to police. Both were stabilized at hospitals, but police were releasing few other details.
McCarty said a person who appeared shot hobbled out to a waiting car and jumped in. He was later arrested and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. The retired officer went to the University of Chicago Medical Center.
Before the national Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act (LEOSA) was passed, retired officers in Chicago didn’t have an option to carry legally, as there were no carry permits issued in Illinois. In Chicago, you couldn’t obtain a permit to own a handgun. LEOSA restores carry rights to retired officers across the United States and its possessions.
It may very well be that a retired officer would never have been arrested for carrying a concealed weapon in Chicago. Now that carry reform has passed, though, a retired CPD officer has the option of obtaining an Illinois shall issue concealed carry permit like any other citizen. They also have the option of obtaining a permit to carry under LEOSA.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press attempted to turn the shooting into — surprise! — an argument for more infringements on the Second Amendment:
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said in a statement that gun offenders “do not discriminate.” He added gun offenders’ reckless conduct and lack of respect puts families, public servants and anything that stands in their way at risk.
The retired Deputy Chief of Detectives was shot in the shoulder, took cover behind a pillar, and returned fire, hitting his assailant in the inner thigh. He had never been shot or shot anyone while on the force. From fox32chicago.com:
Former Deputy Chief Coffey, who served 40 years on the force, has never had to shoot anyone and was never shot himself, according to his son.
Second City Cop — an interesting source for Chicago PD gossip and goings on — had this to say about the incident:
Superintendent “Special Ed” Johnson announced that he has stripped former Deputy Chief Fred Coffey of his star and retirement powers pending the outcome of an investigation into yesterday’s shooting.
“Retirement powers”? Is that something like “spider powers.” Given the Windy City PD’s checkered past and hard line union rules, it’s hard to tell if SCC is being satirical.
©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.