A Chicago area man was hailed by police last week after he used his concealed weapon to shoot at a suspect who was firing on police.
The unidentified good samaritan, who owned a gun for 16 years but had never fired it, spoke to CBS Chicago saying he instinctively knew to draw and fire his weapon.
“I was there in the right time and the right moment,” the 42-year-old man said. “My instincts, you know, told me to do what I did. I didn’t think twice to do what I did.”
The incident happened last Thursday in the Chicago suburb of Cicero, when while stopped at a red light, the man witnessed a suspect in a black Mercedes engage in a firefight with police.
The good guy with a gun exited his vehicle and shot at the suspect three times, “striking the suspect,” according to the local CBS affiliate.
The man says he then worked to help the injured officer, Luis Duarte, 32.
“Well, like I’m thinking you know, save that officer’s life you know, and then I tried to help that officer,” the anonymous man told CBS. “I take a towel in my car and wrapped it around his arm.”
The injured officer underwent surgery for five hours, “But everything went well and he’s resting comfortably right now,” Cicero Police Superintendent Jerry Chlada communicated.
Update on Ofc Duarte: he is out of surgery and currently resting comfortably. Thank you to everyone for the Prayers and support!
— Cicero Police Dept (@TOCPolice) September 14, 2018
Chlada was thankful the concealed carry permit holder was there to help out.
“We were lucky enough to have a good citizen on the street who’s a concealed carry holder,” Chlada said in a statement. “And he also engaged in gunfire with the offender who was struck one time.”
Following up on the legality of the man’s helpful actions, CBS Chicago concluded he followed state law, which indicates:
“A person is justified in the use of force against another when he reasonably believes that such conduct is necessary to defend himself or another against such other’s imminent use of unlawful force.”
Retired Chicago police sergeant Richard Schak, Criminal Justice Chair at National Louis University, also says the hero followed the law.
“In this case I think that citizen is totally justified,” Schak told CBS. “And I think he further should be commended because he came to the aid of a police officer who was injured. And in this climate people might be hesitant to do that.”
The suspect, 37-year-old Daniel Mageo of California, is being denied bail and faces multiple charges including attempted murder of a police officer and aggravated battery.
“Mageo was previously convicted of human trafficking and had outstanding warrants for a parole violation and a sex offense,” reports WGN9.
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