Chicago police officer wounds wife, kills himself

CHICAGO -- A Chicago police officer shot his wife up to seven times on Saturday, then killed himself when police arrived at the scene, authorities said.

Officer Delvin Williams, 29, was reported dead at the scene in Riverdale, a suburb just south of Chicago, but his wife survived and was in stable condition at Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn, Chicago police said. They did not identify the woman.

Williams "shot his wife approximately seven times and then shot himself," said Chicago police spokesman Matthew Jackson.

Riverdale police responded to a domestic disturbance at around 10:30 a.m. and the off-duty Chicago officer killed himself as they arrived, according to a statement released by Riverdale police.

"I believe they might have been going through a separation," Chicago police spokes-man Carlos Herrera said of the couple, adding that the shootings occurred outside on the street.

Jackson said Williams had been with the department since June 21, 1999, but was on medical leave at the time of the shootings. He would not say why Williams was on leave.