GURNEE – An armed woman was shot and killed Wednesday afternoon during a confrontation with Gurnee police officers on Route 41 just north of Grand Avenue.
The two officers who were involved in the incident are on administrative leave pending an investigation into the incident, according to a news release.
At about 1:20 p.m. May 23, Gurnee police officers were dispatched to the area of Harper Avenue and Gould Street for a report of a suspicious vehicle. The caller described the vehicle as a white Toyota Prius with a bullet hole in one side.
Officers made contact with the car's occupants, a man and a woman. The man was unconscious and unresponsive. When paramedics arrived, the woman placed the car in gear and fled, with the man inside, police said. She struck a firetruck while fleeing.
The female driver crashed the car in Chittenden Park. When Gurnee officers arrived shortly after, they found that she had fled on foot. The officers informed the paramedics of where the unconscious man was, so they could render aid to him.
A short time later, Gurnee officers found the woman in the southbound lanes of Route 41, just north of Grand Avenue, police said. She was armed with a long-barrel firearm, which she was waving as she stood in the roadway. The officers engaged with the woman and she was shot. The officers administered first aid until paramedics arrived.
They woman was taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where she was pronounced dead. The man was taken to a local hospital, where he was treated and released.
Two officers involved in the incident were taken to a local hospital for an evaluation and have been released. Pursuant to Gurnee Police regulations, both officers have been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation.
An autopsy will be conducted by the Lake County Coroner’s Office on May 24.
The investigation into the incident is being conducted by the Lake County Major Crime Task Force. The Major Crime Task Force is responsible for investigating incidents when there is an officer-involved shooting.