Shots Fired at Undercover Police Sting Across From Elementary School
Carpentersville police are facing backlash after an undercover drug deal was arranged to take place directly across the street from Lakewood Elementary School. The school may have not even known about the deal and subsequent arrest if shots had not been fired. Now parents and community members are enraged that the police would plan such an event so close to an occupied school.
Police sold a kilogram of fake cocaine to suspects in a McDonald’s parking lot in an attempt to arrest them. But when the officers revealed their true identity, one of the suspects rammed the cop car with his own vehicle, “slightly injuring” two of the cops. This caused one officer to fire on the suspect, hitting him as he fled the scene.
The school reportedly went into lock-down when a teacher saw the events unfolding while looking out of a classroom window. Though school officials refuse to say whether the police department warned them about the issue beforehand, it’s not likely if they went into a lockdown situation after a teacher noticed what was going on.
Following the incident, a “small metal fragment” was found outside of the school and close to a classroom window where a teacher had been instructing 25 students.
For many people, it may come as a surprise to know that police often opt for locations like this because a suspect can face more serious charges if caught dealing with drugs in a school zone. Yes, they may be willing to put children at risk in order to bolster the charges against a suspect.
One suspect has been charged with delivery of a controlled substance, and the other has yet to be charged—he is recovering at a nearby hospital.
According to the account from the Chicago Tribune, the police department doesn’t seem to see anything wrong with their actions; they haven’t admitted any wrongdoing or apologized for the poor choice in sting locations.
Police Commander Tim Bosshart says, “When the officers are doing these things, they obviously are going to try to do what is safest, but you can’t control people’s behavior.”
Unfortunately, he seems to miss the point that the problem wasn’t necessarily how the officer handled being rammed with a vehicle, but instead the choice they made to make the deal at a McDonald’s across the street from a school.
A spokesperson for the local Chicago FBI office says that undercover agents must plan so that there is little public safety risk involved in their execution of duties. He said if undercover officers were intending on making an arrest immediately after a deal (said to be a volatile situation), they would “try to find another location” away from a school.
The police often seem to lose a bit of common sense when it comes to arresting suspects and getting their man. If you’ve ever been on the other side of the law, you might know the feeling.
Whether you are wanted for a drug offense or failing to appear, if you have a warrant for your arrest, you don’t want to wait to get caught. Contact our offices today to discuss your options and the best way of handling any outstanding charges while you still have a chance to fix the problem.
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