Chicago Police Dispatcher Shoots Teen In Road Rage Episode: Cops

CHICAGO, IL — A veteran Chicago police dispatcher is accused of shooting a woman, 18, during a road rage incident earlier this week on the Southwest Side. Keli McGrath, 46, of the Scottsdale neighborhood, was charged with felony aggravated battery with the discharge of a firearm in the incident Wednesday, July 19, in McKinley Park, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. She was released on her own recognizance and placed on electronic monitoring Friday, the report added.

According to police, McGrath shot and wounded the other woman at around 1:50 p.m. Wednesday during a dispute in the 3400 block of South Ashland Avenue, the report stated. The teen suffered a gunshot wound to the chest, and she was taken to Stroger Hospital in stable condition, the report added. Prosecutors said the teen still requires further surgeries, and a bullet remains lodged in her abdomen, the Sun-Times reports. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for the South Side and Chicago — or other neighborhoods. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

McGrath, a 22-year-old veteran of the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, also was hurt in the argument, the report stated. She suffered an injury to the head and was taken to Stroger Hospital in stable condition, the report added.

During a bond hearing Friday, McGrath's lawyer accused the 18-year-old of being a bully in the incident and claimed his client's actions were in self defense, the report stated. The teen allegedly threw a cup of soda at McGrath's window at the intersection of 35th Street and Ashland Avenue after honking and not letting McGrath pass, the report added.

Eventually, the two women pulled into an alley in the 3400 block of South Ashland Avenue, where a fight between the two broke out, the report stated. The teen allegedly grabbed McGrath by the hair and pushed her to the ground. That's when McGrath opened fire, hitting the teen in the stomach, the report added.

Police recovered a firearm with 10 live rounds and a shell casing from the scene, and MGrath is legally permitted to carry the weapon, the report stated. She also has a concealed carry license, the report added.

Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil cited the frequency of road rage as the reason behind releasing McGrath on her own recognizance, the report stated. The fact that McGrath called police before the dispute escalated also worked in her favor, the report added.

More via the Chicago Sun-Times

Keli McGrath, 46 (Photo via the Cook County Sheriff's Office)

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