A police officer was shot and killed in a suburb north of Chicago this morning, and local and federal authorities are conducting a manhunt for three suspects.
The officer radioed to dispatchers that he was going to check on suspicious activity around 8 a.m. local time in the city of Fox Lake, Lake County sheriff's office spokesman Christopher Covelli said at a news conference. The officer, who has not yet been identified, then said he was in a "foot pursuit," before losing contact.
Covelli said responding officers arrived and found the officer injured from a gunshot wound and without his service weapon. The officer died at the scene.
That spurred a massive manhunt for three armed suspects — two white men and a black man — in the Fox Lake area, NPR's Cheryl Corley reports. She says authorities have locked down schools, blocked roads and are using helicopters and dogs.
The Chicago Tribune reports:
" 'If (residents) see anybody in their area ... that doesn't belong or doesn't look right, they should call 911,' [ Lake County Undersheriff Raymond Rose] said. "Police, with the help of U.S. marshals, were searching woods and businesses in the area, authorities said. "Every law enforcement agency in the area, along with a regional SWAT team, was assisting, according to George Filenko, commander of the Lake County Major Crime Task Force."
In addition, NPR's Carrie Johnson, citing a federal law enforcement source, reports that approximately 20 special agents form the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Chicago Field Division executive leadership are on the scene. Multiple ATF K-9 teams, which are trained to detect shell casings and ballistics evidence, are also involved in the search.
This story will be updated.
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