Ex-Con Accidentally Shot Gal Pal in Leg, Led Cops on Wild West Side Car Chase: Police

JOLIET, IL — An ex-convict accidentally shot his girlfriend in the leg while they were driving around on the city’s west side Tuesday afternoon, then led the cops on a wild chase that ended with his capture on Bluff Street, police said.

The law was first tipped off to a supposed fight on the corner of Jefferson Street and Midland Avenue about 3:45 p.m. The anonymous caller said one of the combatants was armed with a handgun and that he made his getaway in a red Dodge station wagon.

Officers located the car heading east on Campbell Street near Midland and signaled for the driver to pull over. But instead of stopping, the car sped off.

Officers pursued the station wagon over to Bluff Street near Bridge Street. The driver — 21-year-old Jerry Moffett — stopped there, jumped out and made a run for it, police said. Moffett was apprehended a short time later and a .38-caliber revolver was found nearby.

A young woman with a gunshot wound to her leg was sitting in the passenger seat of the station wagon, police said. The woman reportedly explained that she she owns the car, Moffett is her boyfriend and he inadvertently shot her. After the shooting, they switched seats so he could drive her to the hospital.

Curiously, Moffett was driving away from nearby Presence St. Joseph Medical Center when officers spotted him near Campbell and Midland, police said.

Moffett reportedly told officers he fled because he is still on parole and did not want to go back to jail. He also does not have a driver’s license, police said.

Moffett went on to speculate that the caller who reported the supposed fight was a “guy he had problems with,” and claimed that this same man had been following him shortly before the accidental shooting.

Moffett was released from prison less than three months ago. He did time for possessing a firearm as a gang member.