COURTESY OF CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENTCmdr. Paul R. Bauer was fatally shot while assisting a tactical team at a state government office building in downtown Chicago. Spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the off-duty officer was shot before 2 p.m. Tuesday at the James R. Thompson Center.
A Chicago police commander was shot fatally Tuesday afternoon at the Thompson Center downtown while he was off-duty helping other officers, authorities said.
Cmdr. Paul Bauer of the 18th District was shot by a man while assisting a tactical team that was chasing a man who had run away from them after acting suspiciously.
Bauer, 53, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The shooter is in custody and the weapon has been recovered, Supt. Eddie Johnson said.
The suspect, who hasn't been charged so far in Bauer's death, was wearing body armor and has a long felony record, including a conviction for armed robbery, according to court records and police sources.
Bauer is the first Chicago police officer shot to death on or off duty since the 2011 slaying of Officer Clifton Lewis. Bauer is among 13 Chicago police officers shot to death since 1998.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel was on a business trip to Los Angeles when the fatal shooting occurred.
A statement released by the mayor's office quoted Emanuel as saying that the "hearts of every Chicagoan are heavy as we mourn the loss" of a popular district commander who "stood for the highest ideals" of a Chicago Police Department sworn to serve and protect the people of Chicago.
"His death is a tragic reminder of the dangerous duty the men and women of our police department accept to ensure the safety of us all," the mayor was quoted as saying.
Fraternal Order of Police President Kevin Graham, in a statement, said, "The FOP and its members mourn the senseless and tragic loss of Commander Bauer and ask for prayers for him and his family."
Bauer was the commander of the Near North District.
He was shot several times while helping his fellow officers, said Johnson, who was visibly upset at a Tuesday afternoon news conference outside Northwestern.
Bauer was previously the commander of the department's mounted patrol unit.
He was in charge of the mounted unit in 2013 when the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup. Officers on 30 horses kept control of the streets in Wrigleyville after people broke down police barricades.
Bauer was involved with the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation, which assists the families of fallen and injured officers.
• For more coverage, go to chicago.suntimes.com.
COURTESY OF ABC 7 CHICAGOAn emotional Chicago police Supt. Eddie Johnson informs members of the media that Cmdr. Paul R. Bauer was shot and killed while assisting a tactical team at a state government office building in downtown Chicago.
COURTESY OF ABC 7 CHICAGOAn emotional Chicago police Supt. Eddie Johnson informs members of the media that Cmdr. Paul R. Bauer was shot and killed while assisting a tactical team at a state government office building in downtown Chicago.
COURTESY OF ABC 7 CHICAGOChicago police Cmdr. Paul R. Bauer was shot and killed while assisting a tactical team at a state government office building in downtown Chicago.
COURTESY OF ABC 7 CHICAGOChicago Police Commander Paul R. Bauer was shot and killed while assisting a tactical team at a state government office building in downtown Chicago. Spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the off-duty officer was shot before 2 p.m. Tuesday at the James R. Thompson Center. Here, the body of Commander Bauer is escorted from the hospital.
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES PHOTOThe procession travels to the Cook County medical examiner's office after Chicago Police Cmdr. Paul Bauer was shot to death at the Thompson Center, Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 13, 2018. | Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Chicago police officers remain on the scene outside the James R. Thompson Center after off-duty police Cmdr. Paul Bauer was shot several times as he went to assist tactical officers pursuing a fleeing suspect near the center on Tuesday in Chicago.
Associated press
Chicago police officers remain on the scene inside the James R. Thompson Center after off-duty police Cmdr. Paul Bauer was shot several times as he went to assist tactical officers pursuing a fleeing suspect near the center on Tuesday in Chicago.
Associated press
Chicago police officers remain on the scene outside the James R. Thompson Center after off-duty police Cmdr. Paul Bauer was shot several times as he went to assist tactical officers pursuing a fleeing suspect near the center on Tuesday in Chicago.
Associated press
In this Feb. 23, 2016, photo, then Chicago police Capt. Paul Bauer, left, takes part in the arrest of a protester on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago. Promoted to commander, Bauer, 53, a 31-year veteran of the department, was fatally shot Tuesday in downtown Chicago after he spotted a man matching the radio description of an armed suspect officers were chasing on foot, the city's police superintendent said.
Associated press