A man who allegedly shot a Chicago police officer in June was arrested in Burlington, Iowa, on Wednesday, according to the Chicago Police Department (CPD)
Jabari Edwards, 28, of Chicago, is facing two charges for attempted first-degree murder of a police officer and will be extradited to the Windy City from the Des Moines County Correctional Center.
Edwards allegedly shot police officer Fernanda Ballesteros, 27, through a squad car while she and another officer attempted to pull Edwards over for a minor traffic violation at the 6100 block of South Paulina at 5:43 p.m on June 1.
When the bullet hit the windshield, it fragmented and sent pieces into Ballesteros head, neck, and shoulder, according to CWB Chicago.
Ballesteros’s partner, who was not injured, rushed the injured cop to the hospital, the Associated Press (AP) reported. She was later released and is recovering at home.
After the shooting, the suspect crashed the vehicle nearby, and “suspects” fled from the vehicle, the AP noted in June.
Edwards had already been facing felony firearm charges and was in the electric monitoring program, which has recently come under scrutiny, CWB Chicago reported, citing court records. However, prosecutors dropped Edward’s charges four months before the alleged shooting.
Edwards was also convicted of an armed robbery charge in 2012, CWB Chicago noted.
The 16th and 17th District Chicago Police Scanner posted an image on Twitter of the CPD squad vehicle following the shooting:
A picture of the squad car the police officer who was shot was in this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/VmPQKaHQow
— 16th & 17th District Chicago Police Scanner (@CPD1617Scanner) June 2, 2022
“I commend their tireless efforts, and this arrest is the result of really exceptional police work,” CPD superintendent David Brown said. “And this should serve as a warning to all those involved in criminal activity that you cannot run, nor can you hide from justice.”
“You will be held accountable, and you will face the consequences of your actions,” Brown added.
Brown noted that 34 Chicago police officers had been shot at in the line of duty this year, with seven being struck by gunfire.
The CPD also thanked officials in Iowa for helping bring Edwards into custody.
You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.
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