Off-duty Chicago police officer shot and killed

[July 19, 2010]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Chicago officials say an off-duty police officer killed outside his home was less than a month from retiring.

Officer Michael Bailey was shot about 6 a.m. Sunday on the city's South Side. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Officials say Bailey had returned home from working an overnight shift and was cleaning his new car. They say several people approached him and may have tried to steal the vehicle. No arrests have been made.

Next month, Bailey would have turned 63, the mandatory retirement age for Chicago police.

Bailey is the third officer to be shot and killed in Chicago since May.

Mayor Richard Daley called the shooting "a tragic, stunning reminder of the senseless violence that stalks too many of our neighborhoods."

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.