Harvey police shoot, wound robbery suspect

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Police in Harvey, conducting an undercover investigation into a string of recent armed robberies of tow truck drivers, shot and wounded one robbery suspect Wednesday morning.

The incident happened about 10:30 a.m. at 153rd and Marshfield in Harvey, town spokesman Sean Howard said.

Police were conducting an undercover investigation into a string of about six armed robberies of tow truck drivers over the past four weeks, Howard said. The robbers would call a tow truck service, then when the tow truck driver arrived, two men would rob the driver at gunpoint, he said.

Police were posing as tow truck drivers Wednesday as part of the investigation when the shooting occurred, Howard said.

There were two robbers, both males, he said. One was wounded and taken to Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey in an unknown condition and the other “surrendered and gave the officers his gun” when the other robber was shot, Howard said.

Illinois State Police were at the scene to investigate the shooting, Howard said.

Police from other neighboring suburbs were on their way to Harvey Wednesday to try to determine if the two suspects had taken part in any armed robberies in their jurisdictions, Howard said.