Slain Oak Park detective Allan Reddins was remembered as a “natural born leader” and a “devoted” family man who was killed in the line of duty Friday morning near the public library in downtown Oak Park.
“The work he did was so impactful,” Oak Park Police Chief Shatonya Johnson said during a late afternoon media briefing.
Just after 9:35 a.m., the Oak Park Fire Department responded to a shooting in the 800 block of Lake Street and found Reddins shot in the left side, Oak Park police said.
The person who allegedly shot the officer was shot in the leg by another officer, officials said.
Johnson said retired, off-duty and former Oak Park officers responded along with a slew of other agencies.
Allan Reddins, a detective in downtown Oak Park, was killed Friday morning while performing his duties close to the public library. He was a “natural born leader” and a “devoted” family man.
At a media briefing in the late afternoon, Oak Park Police Chief Shatonya Johnson stated, “The work he did was so impactful.”.
He was someone I knew personally. This was where his talent was needed. “.”.
Reddin, a former Metra police officer, was described by Chief Johnson as “a natural” who “closed substantial cases.”. “.”.
The suspect was shot by another officer during the assault, but Johnson did not press charges against him.
Shortly after 9:35 a.m. M. Reddins was shot in the left side, according to Oak Park police, when the Oak Park Fire Department arrived on the scene of a shooting in the 800 block of Lake Street.
Reddins, 40, of Chicago, was a five-year veteran of the Oak Park Police Department. He was transported to the Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood in critical condition, but the hospital declared him dead, according to the police. Since 1938, this is the department’s first line-of-duty fatality.
According to Johnson, the initial response was prompted by a gunman who was spotted leaving the Chase Bank branch in the 1000 block of Lake Street shortly before the shooting.
According to officials, another officer shot the alleged shooter in the leg. Before being transported to Loyola, where his condition was stabilized, he received treatment on the spot.
Johnson said she had hoped Reddins would become a sergeant and that he was promoted to detective two years ago after joining the force in 2019. Because there wasn’t enough staff, he had been on patrol Friday morning.
She characterized him as a “devoted father” outside of law enforcement, leaving behind a 19-year-old son, his mother, and a “host” of friends and officers.
Johnson claimed that Johnson was a born leader who always went above and beyond. He was a dedicated policeman who went on to become a detective. “.”.
Just prior to 3 p.m. m. As they assembled outside the Maywood hospital where Reddins was declared dead, scores of first responders paid their respects to the deceased detective.
Before, a number of police officers from Chicago, River Grove, Elmwood Park, and the Cook County sheriff’s office joined Oak Park officers in a stand near the Oak Park Public Library, located at 834 Lake St. which was surrounded by red and yellow crime scene tape and had been closed when the shooting occurred.
According to Johnson, numerous agencies responded, including retired, off-duty, and former Oak Park officers.
While our officers process this, officers from other agencies are keeping our community safe, Johnson stated. Peer support is available to us. dot. We envelop one another with our arms. “.”.
“Dot, today is the worst day ever. I’m in pain. “.”.
Despite being in the restroom at the time of the shooting, Agnes Albert, who works in the building adjacent to the library, claimed that her client heard the gunfire.
After hearing fireworks, Albert said, “He asked me to check what was going on because he heard fireworks.” She also heard a man screaming about leg pain as police surrounded him shortly after.
“Perhaps instead of running with guns, people should stay at home and watch TV,” Albert suggested.
According to a man who wished to remain anonymous and lives in a nearby building, he was awakened by roughly six gunshots, followed by a brief silence and another round of shots.
He remarked, “I didn’t stick my head out the window for a long time.”. He said he and his wife, who has lived there for nearly eight years, would like to “get away” by spending the weekend at her parents’ house.
He fears that crime is on the rise because it was the second shooting on their block in a year, the first of which he blamed on “kids being stupid.”.
“I think that one was just kids being dumb,” he remarked. “It’s kind of absurd to do that twice in a year. All we want is to leave the scene and wait for things to settle down. “”.
