CHICAGO—A 24-year-old man who allegedly shot and injured two Chicago police officers at an outdoor hot dog stand was ordered held Sunday on $1 million bail.
Kailon Harris-Caldwell was taken into custody shortly after the shooting early Friday morning. He was charged Saturday with two counts of attempted murder, one felony count of possession of a controlled substance, and a misdemeanor count of possession of cannabis.
Harris-Caldwell was scheduled to appear in bond court Sunday, but he did not attend because he was hospitalized for back pain after his arrest, authorities said.
Prosecutors wanted him held without bail, but Judge Kelly Marie McCarthy cited a state law that defendants must be present in court if they are given no bail, the Chicago Tribune reported. It’s unclear if he has an attorney.
Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said one of the officers was waiting in line along with the gunman around 3:30 a.m. Friday at the Original Maxwell Street hot dog stand on the city’s West Side. He said a gun fell from the man’s waistband when he reached into his pocket to pay for his order.
The officer noticed the gun but before he could do anything, the man picked it up and began firing, Brown said.
He said the shots struck the officer, who was standing near the suspect, while the officer’s partner, who had been sitting inside a police car, also was struck when the suspect fired at least three times into the vehicle.
Assistant State’s Attorney Michelle Papa said Sunday that gunfire grazed the officer who was in line with the gunman in the head. The officer received six staples to his head and was released later Friday.
The officer who was inside the police car was shot in the leg and suffered nerve damage, Papa said, and was released from the hospital Saturday night.
A video camera captured what happened, authorities said. Officers nearby heard the shots and chased the suspect and captured him a short time later, police said.
Harris-Caldwell is scheduled to next appear in court on Wednesday.
