Chicago police officer hospitalized after suspect allegedly hit him with brass knuckles

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Monica Mejia (left) and Michael Sopher | Chicago police

CHICAGO - A Chicago police officer suffered severe facial injuries after authorities said a registered sex offender attacked him with brass knuckles during an assault on the Southwest Side.

Chicago police officers attacked

What we know:

Officers were called around 9:20 p.m. to the 1600 block of West 37th Street for a report of an assault in the McKinley Park neighborhood.

After they arrived, 30-year-old Monica Mejia allegedly tried to damage a CPD vehicle. Mejia and 33-year-old Michael Sopher then began to attack responding officers.

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th) said Sopher used brass knuckles to seriously injure Officer Kevin Mangan.

"With the number of blows to his head & face, Kevin is lucky to be alive. However, he will need reconstructive oral surgery having had all his teeth either knocked out or impacted inward," Lopez wrote on X.

Mejia and Sopher were taken into custody while Mangan was hospitalized.

Mejia was charged with two felony counts of aggravated battery of a peace officer and one misdemeanor count of attempted criminal damage to property.

Sopher was charged with aggravated battery causing great bodily harm to a peace officer, felon in possession of a weapon and violating the sex offender registry.

Both suspects have detention hearings scheduled for Thursday.

Rap sheets

Dig deeper:

Sopher registered as a sex offender after he was found guilty of predatory criminal sexual assault of a 5-year-old when he was 18.

Sopher has been arrested in Chicago at least five times since 2021, including on charges of domestic battery and burglary.

Mejia was last arrested in March 2024 on charges of domestic battery and aggravated assault/use of a deadly weapon.