Aurora officer's squad car's rear window shot out

The back window of an Aurora police officer's squad car "exploded" Monday night after it was shot out in an incident authorities called "incredibly unusual."

Police are looking for witnesses who might have seen or heard anything out of the ordinary as they attempt to solve the case.

The window of a marked Aurora police car was shot out at 8:03 p.m. Monday when a 37-year-old in the department's Community-Oriented Policing unit was going about his regular duties, Aurora spokesman Dan Ferrelli said Tuesday. The officer was driving north on High Street near Hankes Avenue when he heard a loud bang or a pop.

The squad's rear window exploded, but the officer wasn't hurt. A 13-year veteran of the department who was patrolling alone, he sped about two blocks north to High Street and Pine Avenue while he radioed for help.

Ferrelli said dozens of officers arriving at the scene could not find any suspects or witnesses. They found a 17-year-old Aurora boy running in the area shortly after the shooting, but police said the boy was released at the scene.

Police have a theory about which direction the shot might have come from, but Ferrelli said he could not elaborate. This is the first time a squad car has been shot in quite a few years, although Ferrelli said it has happened in Aurora before.

The officer whose window was shot out Monday was taken to an Aurora hospital for a checkup and then released. His squad car has been processed for evidence, and it will be repaired, Ferrelli said.

While High Street and Hankes Avenue are not major thoroughfares, Ferrelli said they are relatively well-traveled in the evening, so police are hoping someone might have seen or heard something related to the shooting.

Anyone with information is asked to call Aurora police investigators at (630) 256-5500 or place an anonymous call to Aurora Area Crime Stoppers at (630) 892-1000 for a potential reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to any arrests.