Armed Defender Protects Wounded Police Officer Near Chicago

U.S.A.-(AmmoLand.com)- Crime happens everywhere in the Chicago area. It was the start of the Thursday evening rush hour when an ordinary citizen saw a violent crime unfold in front of him. Of course, we have the right to self-defense. We also have the right to defend other innocent parties who face an immediate, unavoidable, and lethal threat. I’m sure they mentioned that during your concealed carry class. Having heard that information in a class is one thing. Acting on it within seconds when you see a police officer shot in front of you is another thing entirely. This story takes more turns than rush hour traffic in Cicero and Chicago. This is how an armed defender saved lives back in September of 2018.

Cicero Police saw a black Mercedes sedan driving erratically. Instead of pulling over when he saw the flashing lights, the driver stepped on the gas and tried to speed away. He pulled onto the on-ramp to enter the Stevenson Expressway. That isn’t a fast lane to anywhere during rush hour. The officers were able to bring the suspect’s car to a stop. The suspect and officers got out of their cars. That is when the suspect drew his firearm.

The suspect, Daniel Mageo, shot at the officers several times. He hit Cicero police officer Luis Duarte twice in the arm, once in the leg and once in the abdomen. One of the shots also hit the officer’s taser. We don’t know where the attacker’s other shots ended up. We don’t know which vehicles in the traffic jam acted as a bullet stop.

Our defender was in one of those cars stopped at a red light in rush hour traffic. He saw the attacker shoot at the officers. He saw the officer get hit and fall. The defender took action rather than sit and watch the attacker shoot the downed officer. The defender got out of his car. He presented his firearm. He shot at the attacker three times. Now the attacker ran. The wounded officer’s partner also shot at the attacker.

The attacker was wounded and stopped shooting. It would take weeks until we learned whose shots hit the attacker.

This is where the story takes another interesting turn. The armed defender holstered his firearm and gave aid to the wounded police officer. He tried to stop the bleeding with a towel from his car.

Can you imagine if you were the wounded officer’s partner in this situation? You’ve called for help. You now have a wounded partner on the ground and a wounded and armed suspect a few yards away. You can drag your partner to a new position so he isn’t as exposed to gunfire, but there probably isn’t complete cover that would prevent you and your partner from being shot. In those circumstances, another pair of hands to help stop your partner’s bleeding would be an answered prayer.

In time, other officers arrived. The 27-year-old suspect was arrested. Emergency Medical Services treated the wounded officer and the attacker. Mageo, the attacker, was wounded in the ankle and leg.

I’m sure the 42-year-old concealed carry holder had to show his personal identification, his Illinois Firearms Owners Identification card, and his Illinois concealed carry permit. He had to give a statement explaining what he saw and what he did.

The armed defender said he had been a gun owner for 16 years, but this was the first time he had to use his gun.

Cicero police Superintendent Jerry Chlada Junior said, “We were lucky enough to have a citizen on the street there who is a concealed carry holder, and he engaged in gunfire with the suspect.” The wounded officer had been on the police force for four years. “The kid almost died,” Superintendent Chlada said.

Cicero Town President Larry Dominick added, “I want to applaud the citizen, a civilian, who risked his life to help in apprehending this armed suspect. He got out and started helping the police, which is something I’ve got to be proud of.”

The officer recovered but was walking with the aid of a walker a week after the attack. It would be another few weeks when the police made public that the attacker was stopped by shots from the second officer’s gun.

The attacker was released from the hospital. He has prior arrests for drugs, resisting arrest, and was convicted of trafficking underage girls. He has numerous facial tattoos near his eyes and cheeks. He had outstanding warrants for his arrest from California. He was wanted in California for cutting off his ankle monitor and skipping parole.

In Cook County, the attacker faced two counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of aggravated battery with a firearm. That ignores the charges for having an illegal firearm and ammunition in Cook County, Illinois.

This story is one of many that go under-reported by the mainstream media because it shows a positive image of a law-abiding gun owner defending their life and their family. It is our responsibility at AmmoLand to report these stories to you. While we will continue to report these stories, groups like the Crime Prevention Research Center, led by Dr. John Lott, are fastidious in studying the use of firearms for self-defense. Stay up to date with all news on self-defense by following CPRC and Ammoland.

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About Rob Morse

Rob Morse writes about gun rights at Ammoland, at Clash Daily, at Second Call Defense, and on his SlowFacts blog. He hosts the Self Defense Gun Stories Podcast and co-hosts the Polite Society Podcast. Rob was an NRA pistol instructor and combat handgun competitor.Rob Morse

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OlTrailDog

I wonder what the probabilities are that the perp was one of Biden’s border buddies conducting cartel derived business. Nah, probably just another wandering asylum seeker hoping to find a better life with a free DREAMer education.

gregs

he was probably a obama dreamer. a dreamer of starting his own cartel here in America thanks to leftist/progressive ideology.

TGP389

If he wasn’t a southern invader, you can bet he was the offspring of some. Facial tattoos and a California criminal history are strong indicators.

SK

“The armed defender said he had been a gun owner for 16 years, but this was the first time he had to use his gun.” I’ve been a gun owner for 40 years and have never had to use my firearm in defense mode and I hope I never do. Most people never will. How old is this story? I noticed the temp in Chicago was 83.

SGT_Wombat

September 2018

TGP389

I’ve owned firearms for 60 years, retired as a police officer and have had to use mine only three times. Two were snake calls where I dispatched the snake. The third was a call involving suspects, but I was shooting at a tire. It’s a long story, but a very rare instance where shooting a tire was appropriate. Never shot at a human.

Boz

This is why cops carry guns, because an armed Citizen isn’t always there to save you!

Ram

Nicely done.

gregs

i would really like to see the ballistics report. how many shots were fired by everyone involved? so basically the real truth, as leo’s have a woefully low accuracy rate.

TGP389

I wonder if the police wanted the good guy to be limited to 10 rounds?

Henry Bowman

This here is why I carried off-duty for more than 20 years, and still do so in retirement. Anyone who is a responsible citizen will carry a pistol, a trauma kit, and if you’re really forward-thinking, body armor (saves lives in war zones like Chicago, Gary Indiana, or Minneapolis/St.Paul!

TGP389

I carry a pistol because a police officer is too heavy to carry.

incorrigible

Too bad the second cop and the civilian were not better trained. That could have ended the thug’s career right then and there! Which would have been none too soon. It would be interesting to know what he has done with his life in the last 4 years!

Ram

Probably best to focus on surviving as the success,
rather than killing, although there is merit in a PSK.
A Public Service Killing is like a stone tossed into
a pond, all the fish know something splashed.

incorrigible

I was not suggesting that they should have killed him once he was neutralized, just that had they been more skilled, shooting center-of-mass, he would have died in the first engagement. Given the release policies these days though, I can’t help wondering how it feels to have someone that you could have legally killed, and did not, later commit a horrible, multiple murder!

SGT_Wombat

I have been surprised that they have reported on CCLs thwarting three attempted carjackings in Chicago in the past couple of weeks.

3manfan

Glad it turned out as it did, only better outcome would be if the offender was deceased……..BUT……….as a retired street cop of 25 years in one of the most violent cities in the country with one of the biggest prosecutors office & the largest arenas for civil litigation: #1- Never talk to the media. EVER. They are not your friend. They will look you straight in the eye ….& lie to you about that. All they care about is airing anything that may boost their tv ratings or internet clicks. That’s their bottom line & will throw anyone to the… Read more »

swmft

guy needs to practice, on shot one hit no excuse. I know where he lives makes it hard to get meaningful moving target practice but it is important

Rob

Seriously? Obviously, your glass is always half-empty.

Tionico

Mine is always all the way full. Half full of waer, half full of air. I use both on aa regular basis. Would not want to do without either for any length of time.

Yes, accuracy under pressure IS an important skill. But how to GET that practice whilst minimising risk to one’s self?

Last edited 1 year ago by Tionico
Link

Yet the thug got multiple hits on the cop while under fire himself.

Swmft has a valid concern

Dry gulched

If you were to trip over a bag of gold in the street your first reaction would be “who in hell put that there?”.