Man charged with shooting Chicago police officer who witnessed West Side murder

Walter Johnson | Chicago police

A man has been charged with shooting and injuring a Chicago police officer Wednesday after the officer saw him fatally shoot another man on the West Side.

Walter Johnson, 35, is charged with one felony count each of first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder, unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon and aggravated battery with a firearm, according to Chicago police.

Johnson, who lives in West Pullman on the Far South Side, is scheduled to appear in court for a bail hearing on Friday.

A CPD officer was on-duty at 2:26 p.m. in the 4000 block of West Madison Street when he saw Johnson fatally shoot 26-year-old Devel Hill on the sidewalk, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

Hill was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.

The plainclothes officer who witnessed the shooting started to follow Johnson as he drove off in a pickup truck, police said. Johnson realized he was being followed in the 4100 block of West Wilcox, got out of the truck and fired at the officer’s vehicle with a handgun, hitting him in the wrist. He then got back in the truck and drove away.

Responding officers began to take the wounded officer to Stroger Hospital, but on their way spotted the pickup, interim CPD Supt. Charlie Beck said at a news conference Wednesday. The injured officer told them to follow the suspect instead of continuing to the hospital.

The pickup crashed in the 2000 block of West Congress Parkway and Johnson and a female suspect were taken into custody, according to police. A weapon was also recovered from the truck.

The injured officer was brought to Stroger Hospital, where his condition was stabilized, police said.

No other charged have been filed in the case as of Friday morning, according to police.

Area North detectives are investigating.