Bronzeville Man Charged With Attempted Murder After 2 Officers Shot In South Shore Friday

LITTLE VILLAGE — A 34-year-old man is being charged with seven felonies, including attempted murder, after he was shot by police during a shootout in South Shore this weekend, according to police and prosecutors.

Malik Wrightsell, a Bronzeville resident, is charged with first-degree attempted murder, aggravated battery of an officer, aggravated assault of an officer, resisting an officer and two firearms charges — all felonies — as well as a citation for driving a “non-highway vehicle,” police said Sunday.

Wrightsell remained hospitalized as of Monday, according to testimony from Chicago Police Officer Mario Perez during a brief hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse. Wrightsell’s continued hospitalization delayed a detention hearing in the case, but prosecutors delivered a brief proffer to Judge Luciano Panici, Jr. Monday.

Panici rescheduled a full detention hearing for Wednesday. A public defender assigned to represent Wrightsell meanwhile reserved argument for when his client can appear in court, the Tribune reported.

Wrightsell was arrested around 5 p.m. Friday, soon after two officers were shot on the 7900 block of South Chappel Avenue in South Shore, according to police.

Officers stopped a “dune buggy-style vehicle” on the 2000 block of East 79th Street around 4:58 p.m. Friday, and Wrightsell allegedly fled the traffic stop, according to police and prosecutors with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office.

As officers pursued Wrightsell on foot, he retrieved a 9-millimeter handgun with a laser sight attachment from his cross-body bag and shot one officer in the abdomen, police and prosecutors said.

The officer’s ballistics vest stopped the bullet, and that officer returned fire and shot Wrightsell multiple times, police said.

A second officer was shot in the arm during the struggle, and a firearm was recovered at the scene, police said. Police and prosecutors did not clarify who shot the second officer.

Wrightsell was taken to Northwestern Hospital with multiple gunshot wounds and was in critical condition as of Friday night, police said. He was still hospitalized at Northwestern as of Monday afternoon, prosecutors said.

The officers were identified by the Chicago Sun-Times Sunday as Carl Williams, 27, and Esteban Cervantes, 30.

Both officers have been with the Chicago Police Department for four years, and their injuries were not life-threatening, the Sun-Times reported. Mayor Brandon Johnson said Friday that Cervantes underwent surgery for a gunshot wound to the arm, according to the Sun-Times.

The officer who was shot in the abdomen was treated and released from the hospital, while the officer shot in the elbow remained hospitalized as of Monday afternoon, prosecutors said. The officers involved will be placed on administrative duties for at least 30 days, police said.