Illinois State Trooper Recovering After Being Shot, Beaten at Traffic Stop

Officials say ISP Trooper Dakotah Chapman-Green stopped the suspect just before 11 p.m. on Oct. 24 and the suspect got out of the car and fired at least 10 gunshots at the trooper hitting him multiple times. Officials say he was wounded in both legs.

Sill image from in-vehicle video shows Cristobal Santana opening fire on Illinois State Police Trooper Dakotah Chapman-Green, police say.Sill image from in-vehicle video shows Cristobal Santana opening fire on Illinois State Police Trooper Dakotah Chapman-Green, police say.Illinois State Police

An Illinois State Police trooper was shot and beaten on Tuesday Oct. 24 during a traffic stop in Springfield that involved a Chicago murder suspect. He remains hospitalized with severe injuries.

ISP said in a release that Trooper Dakotah "Kody" Chapman-Green remains hospitalized one week after the attack. Brendan F. Kelly, director of the Illinois State Police, said the trooper is recovering during a press conference Tuesday Oct. 31.

The suspect Cristobal Santana was apprehended in the early hours of Wednesday Oct. 25.

Officials say ISP Trooper Chapman-Green stopped Santana just before 11 p.m. on Oct. 24 and the suspect got out of the car and fired at least 10 gunshots at the trooper hitting him multiple times. Officials say he was wounded in both legs. The suspect then chased down the wounded trooper and beat him with a handgun causing facial fractures, a skull fracture, and a brain bleed, police say.

The suspect fled the scene.

He was arrested around 2 a.m. after being spotted by an ISP aircraft. He was struck by a police vehicle during the arrest and was taken to the hospital.

Multiple agencies were involved in the arrest.

On Friday, the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office filed two counts of attempted first degree murder, one count of aggravated battery with a firearm to a police officer, one count of aggravated battery to a police officer, and one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon against Santana.

He is being held without pretrial release.

He's believed to be a suspect in the murder of special education teacher Adrianna Lopez in Chicago, according to that victim's family, ABC7 reports.

ISP continues to investigate this shooting and will work with the Sangamon County State’s

Attorney’s Office to provide more information as it becomes available.

Donations may be made to the Chapman-Green family by visiting the Illinois State Police Heritage Foundation website at https://www.isphf.org/isphf-donate-online-to-isphf/, or via U.S. mail to Illinois State Police Heritage Foundation, P.O. Box 2210, Springfield, Illinois 62705-2210. 

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