Off-Duty Chicago Cop Charged With Shooting At Carjackers Who Took Her SUV

Chicago, IL – An off-duty Chicago police officer is facing charges after she fired her weapon on Saturday at a group of carjackers that had just stolen her personal vehicle.

The incident occurred at about 6:45 p.m. on Oct. 30 in the parking lot of the Sam’s Club at in the 9400-block of South Western Avenue in Evergreen Park, WBBM reported.

The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said that Chicago Police Officer Oneta Sampson Carney was loading groceries into the back of her SUV with her husband when they were approached by three suspects.

Two of the suspects approached the couple and offered them assistance, distracting Carney and her husband long enough for the third suspect to jump into the driver’s seat and steal their white 2016 Toyota 4Runner, WBBM reported.

Prosecutors said the driver stopped the stolen SUV a short distance away to pick up his partners in crime and that’s when the off-duty officer pulled out her weapon and fired one shot at them.

The bullet hit the ground behind the car, WBBM reported.

Prosecutors said nobody was hurt during the incident.

Carney called 911 to report her stolen SUV but she didn’t tell the dispatcher that she had fired her weapon, WBBM reported.

She did, however, tell the officers who responded to the scene.

A man and five juveniles were apprehended later on Saturday night in Carney’s stolen SUV, WBBM reported.

Officials said officers spotted the white Toyota 4Runner at about 8:45 p.m. in the 200 block of West Wacker Drive, near Wells Street, and attempted to stop it.

The driver fled and proceeded to rear-end another vehicle in traffic a moment later, WBBM reported.

Police said a 26-year-old man and five teenage boys jumped out of the stolen SUV and tried to flee the scene but were caught.

They were taken into custody and booked at Area Three Police Headquarters, WBBM reported.

Police said a 15-year-old boy was charged with felony possession of a stolen vehicle, felony aggravated fleeing, and issued citations for disobeying a red light.

Four boys between the ages of 11 and 16 were each charged with one count of misdemeanor criminal trespass, WMAQ reported.

But prosecutors didn’t just go after the carjackers who took Carney’s car, they also brought the officer up on charges for firing her weapon at them.

Prosecutors said that none of the three carjackers had displayed a weapon or made a threat to Carney or her husband, WBBM reported.

The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office announced charges against Carney on Sunday.

She was arrested and booked on felony reckless discharge of a firearm, WBBM reported.

Prosecutors wrote in charging documents that there were pedestrians, including children, in the area where Carney fired her weapon.

Carney’s next hearing is scheduled for Nov. 8, WBBM reported.