Man fleeing from crash is fatally shot by officer

January 09, 2003

Franklin Park police fatally shot a motorist Wednesday afternoon after he allegedly tried to run over an officer with his car following a police pursuit.

The 53-year-old man, whom authorities would not identify, died at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park.

Police said that at about 3:30 p.m., a Franklin Park police officer saw the man's car strike another vehicle at Nevada and Rose Streets and then flee. The officer and an officer in a second squad car pursued the man and then tried to box in the man's car near North Avenue and Hawthorne in Stone Park.

"One of the officers got out of his car and [the man] tried to run him over," a police source said. Police would not confirm that an officer shot the man, but they did say shots were fired by police.