Quiet Neighborhood Rocked by Police Shooting

Winnebago County, IL - "We`ve never had any problems out this way," says David Busse. Busse and his family have lived in Leesburg Court for 16 years. Thats where police were investigating Saturday nights shooting on Sunday morning. "Being close to the Fourth of July and all, we just thought we heard firecrackers going off...didn`t think much of it," says Busse. But then they heard the sirens. Just before midnight a Winnebago County Sheriffs Deputy on patrol approached two men who were walking in the remote area that the Sheriffs Department had been targeting after some burglaries were reported in the last few weeks. "They took off running back into the wooded area," says Winnebago County Sheriff Richard Meyers. "The officer gave pursuit. One of them turned and there was a scuffle between the officer and at least one of the suspects. The suspect turned and fired at the officer with a weapon." The officer was not hit, but he did shoot back at them. The two men escaped in a pick-up truck. "It went north," says Meyers. "They were close enough to the officer that he threw gravel on him when he spun out." Police say the men fled the scene heading north on Lyford Road, then east on Springbrook Road. "About 2 o`clock in the morning we got a knock on the door from a Sheriff`s Deputy who wanted to ask questions, see if he could check around the yard and the buildings and stuff for people," says Busse. "It`s just been a very eventful night." Busse hopes that things go back to normal for the safety of the community. "It`s peaceful out here usually," says Busse. Police are searching for a light-colored Nissan or Toyota pick-up truck. One of the suspects is described as a white male, about 62", with a large build wearing dark clothing. The other is about 510" wearing dark clothing. Anyone with information should call the Winnebago County Sheriffs Department at 987-5940 or Crime Stoppers at 963-7867.