South Side man questioned in theft of injured cop's gun

A police source said Friday afternoon that a man had turned himself in to a South Side police station Thursday night saying he “found the gun" and had been charged with two felonies.

But the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office said it cannot confirm that charges have been filed as of 2:30 p.m., a spokesman said.

Police also impounded a white 2001 Chevrolet Impala originally reported to be a Caprice, which witnesses saw leaving the scene of the accident, police said.

Officer Densey Cole II was responding to a burglary in progress when he was injured in a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of West 98th and South Halsted streets about 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, police said.

Four other people were also injured in the wreck. While he was pinned in his vehicle after the crash, onlookers rifled through his belongings and Shannon allegedly stole his gun. Edward Blackledge, 85, of the 9700 block of South Emerald Avenue, was cited with failure to reduce speed and failure to yield to a vehicle entering an intersection, police said.

The brazen act angered Mayor Daley and police Supt. Jody Weis, who called the action "reprehensible" and said Cole apparently suffered a spinal injury.

"Whoever would prey on a wounded officer, incapacitated, and take his weapon and then roll him around with a spinal injury to try to steal his wallet, is reprehensible to me,'' Weis said. "I mean, what type of individual would do that? It's beyond imagination."

Cole has been a Chicago Police officer for 16 years, and his parents were also officers, officials said. In a statement released late Thursday, Cole's sister Candee expressed thanks to the staff of Advocate Christ Medical Center for caring for her brother, as well as the "Chicago Police Department family'' and others for their well wishes.

"Densey has a true passion for police work, as it was his goal to wear the blue like his mother and father,'' Candee Cole said. "Just know that he truly enjoys serving the citizens of Chicago and all his brothers and sisters within the department.''

Department officials also expressed concern that the removal of the gun from Cole's holster had caused him to shift in a way that contributed to his injuries.