Elgin father shot and killed by Chicago cop after accident involving daughter

An Elgin man was shot and killed over the weekend by the off-duty Chicago police officer he attacked in Maywood after the officer's motorcycle hit the man's daughter, officials said.

Christopher Middleton, 26, lived in the 200 block of Locust Street with his fiancee, Tonya Jones, their 6-year-old son and their 4-year-old daughter. They'd been living in Elgin for five years and Jones is five months pregnant with their third child.

It was events involving their 4-year-old daughter Tani'a Middleton on Saturday night in Maywood that ended with his death.

According to Pat Camden, a spokesman for the Fraternal Order of Police, at about 10:30 p.m. the officer was heading home on his motorcycle after work, traveling north on First Avenue at Madison Street in Maywood.

The 43-year-old officer has been on the force for eight years and works on Chicago's west side.

At some point, Tani'a ran into the street in front of the officer's motorcycle, Camden said.

The officer laid the bike down to avoid hitting her, but the motorcycle skidded and flipped, hitting Tani'a and John Passley, her 18-year-old cousin who had ran into the street to help her, according to a statement from Larry Shapiro, Maywood's spokesman.

The accident left the girl with minor injuries and the officer with a broken ankle and dislocated shoulder, officials said.

When the officer went to check on the girl, Middleton, who was in Maywood visiting family, shouted at the officer and said he could have killed his daughter, Camden said.

The officer said, "Take it easy, I'm the police," and Middleton, according to Camden, said, "I don't give a (expletive) who you are," and punched him in the face.

Middleton continued to hit the officer and Passley joined in and kicked the officer, officials said. Both men continued to beat the officer on the ground, Camden said, and there was no way for the officer to avoid what happened next.

"At that point he's defending his life -- he's on the ground, he's about to lose consciousness from the people who are beating him and draws his weapon in defense of his life," Camden said. "The officer responded accordingly."

The officer fired a single shot that hit Middleton in the groin. He was pronounced dead at Loyola University Medical Center later that night.

Passley, of Bellwood, was arrested and charged with aggravated battery to a police officer and aggravated battery in a public way.

Tani'a remains at Loyola. Jones defends her fiance's actions. She described Middleton as a family man who was willing to do anything for his children. The pair were scheduled to marry on Saturday, after seven years together.

"My fiance, he is so close to his kids that I could just imagine how he felt at the time he saw his daughter lying on the ground in so much pain," Jones said. "He wasn't this monster they try to make him out to be; he was just a father doing what he thought was best for his daughter."

The Independent Police Review Authority, which looks into all Chicago police shootings, is investigating.

The officer sustained facial bruises from the fight and is now on medical leave. He remains on the force while the investigation continues and is expected to go back on the street after he's healed, Camden said.

Kane County court records show that Middleton completed supervision satisfactorily on a 2006 misdemeanor charge of resisting an Elgin police officer. DuPage County court records seem to show Middleton being sent to prison in 2005 for a theft/receiving stolen goods felony.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Daily Herald Staff Writer Susan Sarkauskas contributed to this report