Three-part crime scene nets two arrests, two injuries

Two people were arrested and two people were injured, including a police sergeant, early Sunday on the Far South Side in a crime scene that reads more like an absurdist play in three acts. An off-duty police officer was sitting on his porch with his wife at South Leavitt Street and West 90th Street, when they observed a 30-year-old man break into a car, according to a Morgan Park district desk sergeant. The officer left his porch to make an arrest. A short scuffle ensued and the suspect threatened the officer by saying, "I know where you live now and I'll come back and kill you." The suspect also threatened to injure the officer's wife.

The suspect managed to break free and began running toward nearby woods, shedding clothing in the meantime. A police sergeant spotted the suspect at South Western Avenue and West 90th Street and the man was subsequently apprehended. The suspect is facing charges of burglary and aggravated assault to a peace officer, the Morgan Park district desk sergeant said.

As police were making the arrest at 1:13 a.m., a drunken motorist driving a 2004 Ford Escape came upon the crime scene and ploughed into a police squad car. The force of the impact caused that car to hit another squad car head-on, injuring a police sergeant who was inside the car. Paul Daniels, 26, of South Holland, was subsequently cited with two counts of driving under the influence and two counts of damage to public property. He was also cited with failure to reduce speed, no driver's license, no insurance and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle. He is slated to appear in bond court later Sunday, the Morgan Park district desk sergeant said.

The sergeant and Daniels were transported in good condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. The sergeant was treated and released, the Morgan Park district desk sergeant said. As police were responding to the crash caused by the drunk driver, at about 1:30 a.m. another vehicle approached police. The male driver told police his male passenger had been shot at South Western Avenue and West 79th Street. Police assisted in transporting the shooting victim also to Christ. A Chicago Lawn district police officer confirmed a shooting happened at that address but deferred all other questions to police News Affairs.