'Brutal Attack': Attempted Murder Charges After IL State Trooper Shot, Beaten

CHICAGO — An Illinois State Police trooper who was shot by a Chicago man now charged in the fatal shooting of his ex-girlfriend remains hospitalized after officials said he was also severely beaten in the attack, authorities said on Tuesday.

State police say Trooper Dakotah Chapman-Green was shot several times and then beaten by Cristobal Santana, 37, of Chicago, during a traffic stop that took place at 10:37 p.m. on Oct. 24 in Sangamon County. Police said on Tuesday that Santana shot at Chapman-Green 10 times, hitting him several times.

State police have released video footage of the violent traffic stop.

Police officials also said that Santana — who has been charged with murder in the shooting of his ex-girlfriend, a Chicago special education teacher – then attacked the trooper, hitting him repeatedly and causing facial fractures, a skull fracture and a brain bleed, state police officials said in a news release.

Santana was stopped after being wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of Adrianna Lopez, 37, who police said was fatally shot Oct. 22 outside her apartment in Garfield Ridge. Lopez was a teacher at Davis Elementary in Brighton Park. Police said that Santana was waiting for Lopez when she arrived at her apartment with another man, and that she was shot several times.

Santana was taken into custody at 1:58 a.m. on Oct. 25 and remains in the hospital while being treated for injuries sustained in his apprehension, police said.

“By the grace of God, Trooper Chapman-Green survived this brutal attack,” Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said in a statement released on Tuesday. “Police officers across the state take an oath to protect the lives of citizens and too often, that means facing diabolical, hateful, vicious evil that no innocent human being should ever have to face.

“We live in a free country, but there is no freedom without the law and there is no law without law enforcement, and there is no law enforcement without brave souls like Trooper Chapman-Green.”

In addition to the murder charges he faces in connection with the shooting of his ex-girlfriend, Santana now faces attempted murder charges as well as a charge of aggravated battery with a firearm to a police officer, one count of aggravated battery of a police officer and one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

In a statement posted to social media, the state trooper’s father, Jimmy Green, said that his son will recover after a long road and that the trooper has an unstoppable spirit.

“How could anyone do this to him?” Jimmy Green wrote. “Unfortunately, there are some very evil cruel pieces of (expletive) in this world. I love this boy beyond words and would do anything for him. I pray this individual goes to prison for the rest of his life or worse.”