Waukegan cop shoots man who threatened him

A Waukegan police officer shot a man who was threatening him with what appeared to be a black semiautomatic handgun but turned out to be a BB gun, authorities said Wednesday.

The officer was sitting in his squad car outside the police department at 101 N. West St. around 5 p.m. Tuesday when he was approached by a man in his 20s who drew the gun and threatened the officer, Cmdr. Joe Florip said.

The officer shot him and the man was taken to an area hospital where he is being treated for nonlife-threatening injuries. Florip declined to say where the man was hit.

The officer, who was not identified, also was taken to the hospital.

"We're always very concerned any time an officer is in a very stressful situation," Florip said. "Just because their outsides look OK doesn't mean their insides are OK, too ... We like to get them a medical evaluation."

The shooting is being investigated by state police. Florip said no charges have been filed.