Cops: Chatham Man fatally shot by police after trying to run over officer

A 29-year-old man was fatally shot by police early this past New Year's Day morning after he tried to run over a police officer who attempted to stop his vehicle in the Avalon Park neighborhood, officials said.

Tory Davis of the 400 block of West 81st street was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

The shooting happened about 1:52 a.m. after officers working as part of the federally funded Operation Safe City initiative were alerted to a crash that had just happened in the 800 block of East 79th Street and had injured another person, Chicago police said in a statement.

The officers, who were part of the initiative targeting high-crime areas on the weekends, tried to pull over the vehicle which witnesses told them was involved in the accident, according to police.

According to the police statement, the car, which was being driven by Davis, was stopped at a nearby gas station but after being ordered by police to get out of the car, the vehicle began moving in the direction of one of the officers "in an attempt to strike one of the officers."

Police said the officer discharged his gun after being in "fear of his life."

A gas station attendant who was working last night said that the station was busy at the time and while he did not see what happened, people were coming in saying that someone had been shot.

The victim of the traffic crash was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. No police were injured.

The Independent Police Review Authority is investigating.