Paul Bessette always drives with his windows down. But in the Wednesday morning rain, he rolled them up — now, he credits that decision with saving his life.
The 38-year-old father of three was shot in the chest after trying to stop a violent armed robbery he stumbled upon while driving for Uber around 1:40 a.m. in the 2200 block of South Wentworth Avenue, according to Bessette and a police report.
Bessette's passenger was a man who was helping a friend close down a Chinatown bar. A brief stop was included in his ride, so while the man stepped inside the bar, Bessette reclined his seat, turned up his music and relaxed.
But soon he was distracted by a group of three younger men robbing and beating up a 58-year-old man outside his car window. He watched in horror, feeling like someone should step in, he said.
When he spotted blood coming from the man's head, he laid on the horn.
"You really don't do that to people who can't defend himself," said Bessette. "It just feels wrong. ... That's why I was like 'I gotta do something.'"
That's when one of the robbers turned around and fired a shot into the Tesla's driver's side window, which tore through Bessette's seat belt and into his chest, Bessette and Chicago police said. He whipped the car around and sped away.
He was driving as fast as he could, scared the shooter was following him, but realized he needed to call for help when he got to a safe place.
"I was going as fast as I could," he said. "I was in shock, total shock. I was thinking about my kids, and I realized I had to call 911."
Looking back, Bessette said the decisions to roll his windows up in the rain and recline the seat to relax could have saved his life. Doctors told him he was lucky to be alive, he said, and a slight difference in his position or the trajectory of the bullet could have meant the difference between life or death.
"I absolutely never have my windows up," he said. "I think that slowed the bullet down enough, maybe even changed the trajectory."
Bessette, who works for Discover credit card company and lives on the city's Northwest Side, was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center by ambulance, treated and released later that morning, then boarded a flight to Florida. He had planned to jet off on a 5:30 a.m. flight scheduled for just hours after he got shot but made the vacation happen later in the day.
The neighborhood man who was being attacked was hospitalized and given stitches in his head, according to the police report. Bessette was happy to learn from police that he was also released from the hospital and is expected to recover.
In the days since the shooting, Bessette's perspective has shifted on life, mortality and fatherhood. He's going through a divorce and didn't have the kids on the day of the shooting.
"I just can't wait to see my kids," he said. "I haven't seen my kids since this happened. I just want to give them a hug. I just want to feel their love."
People close to Bessette have scolded him for intervening in the robbery, in which the robbers made out with $6,000 and an iPhone, according to a police report. He now knows the decision was dangerous, but he doesn't regret it.
"I regret underestimating my opponent," Bessette said. "You can't bring a f—ing car horn to a gunfight."
Uber didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
