Cops: Man wounded after pointing gun at 2 officers

A man was shot and wounded by Chicago police in the East Chatham neighborhood on the South Side, authorities said.

Gresham District tactical officers were on "aggressive patrol" in an area known for drug and gang activity when they spotted "several individuals congregating" at about 11:20 p.m. Monday in the 800 block of East 87th Street, according to Police News Affairs Officer Amina Greer.

As the officers approached, they noticed one of the men was holding a gun and began chasing him, Greer said.

The man dropped the gun but then retrieved it, police said. An officer, "in fear for his life," fired at the man as he ran down an alley. The suspect encountered a second officer and aimed the gun at him, police said.

The officer fired and struck the suspect, police said. A gun was recovered at the scene, Greer said.

The man was shot once in the upper chest and was hospitalized in critical condition, a fire department spokesman said. No officer was hurt.

The Independent Police Review Authority is investigating.