Joseph Navarro Obituary, Death; – Chicago police fatally shot a 50-year-old man who opened fire on them following a vehicle pursuit that concluded with a crash in Northwest Indiana, according to police reports.
Officers responded to a report of an armed individual around 5:50 p.m. in the 13400 block of South Baltimore Avenue, where they observed Joseph Navarro, 50, who was also wanted for aggravated battery, enter a vehicle and flee the scene, as stated by Chicago police and the Lake County, Indiana, coroner’s office. Navarro allegedly led officers on a pursuit until he crashed his vehicle just over the state line in the 100 block of Gostlin Avenue in Gary.
It is reported that Navarro fired shots at the Chicago police officers, which prompted them to return fire, striking Navarro multiple times. He was subsequently transported to St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago, Indiana, where he was pronounced dead at 6:44 p.m., according to the coroner’s office. An autopsy conducted on Friday revealed that Navarro, from the 13400 block of South Baltimore Avenue, died from multiple gunshot wounds, and his death was classified as a homicide by the coroner’s office.
Two officers were taken to a nearby hospital for observation, as reported by police. A firearm was recovered from the scene. The officers involved in the shooting will be assigned to administrative duties for 30 days in accordance with department policy, and the Civilian Office of Police Accountability is conducting an investigation.
