On Sep 5, 2020, Chicago Police Sergeant Angela Salgado, along with Chicago Police Officers Pete Gurskis and Richard Johnson, were investigating an Aggravated Battery with a knife call. The incident occurred in the residential driveway of a house located in the 4900 block of S. Lacrosse Avenue, where a victim had just been stabbed by an offender. The offender also tried to stab two additional victims. Our awardees’ investigation brought the officers to Vittum Park located at 5010 W. 50th Street. Upon arrival, the officers encountered a possible suspect wanted for this stabbing inside the park.
The officers approached and began giving verbal commands to this suspect to show his hands and stop. The suspect refused these orders and, instead, bent over and picked up a black plastic bag from the grass, and then began to approach Officer Gurskis. As the officers continued to give verbal commands to the suspect, he then turned and began walking towards Sgt Salgado. Sgt. Salgado began backing up in an effort to maintain distance from the offender. The other officers continued to shout verbal commands for the suspect to show his hands. However, the suspect continued to be noncompliant while closing the distance between him and Sgt. Salgado.
At this time, Sgt. Salgado deployed her Taser, striking the offender’s torso area. The suspect fell to the ground at which time the officers observed that the offender had been concealing a butcher knife with a 10-inch blade in his right hand which he had secreted by the black bag that he had just picked up.
Despite being tased, the offender was able to get back to his feet and charge at Salgado. The offender was able to grab hold of Sgt. Salgado’s vest cover at which time he began to repeatedly stab Salgado in the vest as Officers Gurskis and Johnson fired multiple shots at the offender. The offender fell to the ground and the butcher knife was secured. While an ambulance was immediately requested by the officers for the offender, he died from his wounds.
During this attack, Sgt Salgado’s front ballistic vest panel was punctured multiple times. One of the thrusts from the butcher knife punctured Sgt. Salgado’s abdomen. She was subsequently transported to Christ Hospital for treatment.
Thanks to our awardees risking their lives to stop a dangerous knife-wielding offender from further injuring other citizens, it is my honor to name these officers our October Officers of the Month presented by Police Mortgage.