New details reveal chaotic moments leading up to fatal shooting of Chicago police officer
CHICAGO - Authorities released additional information Thursday about the shooting that killed Chicago Police Officer Enrique Martinez, shedding light on suspect Darion McMillian's actions and criminal history.
The 23-year-old was charged on Wednesday with multiple counts, including first-degree murder of a police officer. Here's what we know so far.
New details in the case
Initially, just before 8 p.m. on Nov. 4, Officer Martinez and his partner, Officer Nunez, responded to a call in the 8200 block of South Ingleside Avenue.
After determining the call was unfounded, they left but soon noticed a black Ford Escape with a Wisconsin temporary license plate, double-parked and blocking traffic nearby. Police found the vehicle had a fraudulent registration and a broken taillight.
Officer Martinez and Officer Nunez approached the vehicle to conduct a traffic stop. Inside the vehicle were three individuals: a 23-year-old male driver, McMillian in the front passenger seat, and a third person asleep in the back.
More officers who had been dispatched to the scene initially arrived and also approached the Ford.
According to police, McMillian held a backpack close to his chest, ignored commands to show his hands, and eventually drew a firearm from the backpack, firing multiple rounds.
The driver and Officer Martinez were struck; Martinez was hit five times and collapsed on the side of the street.
McMillian pushed the wounded driver out of the vehicle and jumped into the driver's seat. Officer Brink, an assisting officer at the scene, ordered McMillian out of the vehicle and grabbed his Blackhawks' jersey in an attempt to pull him out of the vehicle, police said.
McMillian put the vehicle in reverse and sped backwards down Ingleside Avenue with the driver's door still open.
Officer Brink fell to the ground while the vehicle reversed and one round was accidentally discharged from his gun, authorities said.
The driver's door of McMillian's vehicle hit a parked car, leaving behind heavy damage. A short time later, McMillian hit another parked vehicle at 8055 S. Ingleside Avenue and fled on foot, CPD said.
The third individual who was asleep in the back seat of McMillian's vehicle was still in the car.
Officer Martinez was transported to the University of Chicago Hospital, where he died from his wounds. The driver who was also wounded in the shooting was pronounced dead at the crime scene.
Darion C. McMillian | CPD
Where was McMillian arrested?
Surveillance footage later captured McMillian attempting to evade arrest, entering a home in the 8000 block of South Drexel Avenue.
A caregiver in the first-floor apartment of the home saw McMillian go into the kitchen wearing a white shirt, black pants and red and white Air Jordan 4s, police said.
She claimed she saw McMillian go into the kitchen, open one of the drawers and grab an item. He then tried to cut the electronic monitoring bracelet he was wearing but needed a sharper knife. So, he reached for a butter knife and a cutter knife and then left the home, police said. The caregiver called 911.
McMillian was seen again on surveillance video walking into the backyard of the home and jumping a fence.
Just over a minute later, he was seen running down the alley behind the home and getting onto Maryland Avenue.
Police said they found McMillian in a white T-shirt with dirt marks, black pants and red and white Jordans, walking on Maryland Avenue. He was detained and later identified as the suspect in the officer's shooting by other officers at the crime scene.
McMillian was taken into custody and police said they found suspected cannabis and crack cocaine in his possession.
He was also found to be on electronic monitoring at the time of the shooting for allegedly attempting to defeat a drug or alcohol screening test out of Will County. Police said McMillian had cut off his bracelet.
What did police find during two searches of McMillian's vehicle?
Two searches of the Ford Escape after the shooting by Chicago police revealed the following items:
- A .40 caliber firearm with a fully automatic switch on the front passenger seat
- A pair of eyeglasses on the front passenger floorboard and a backpack underneath a black coat
- Two baby bottles containing suspected codeine
- Fourteen shell casings inside the vehicle and 1 shell casing outside the vehicle where Officer Brink fell
- Three additional shell casings during a second search
McMillian's current and previous criminal charges:
Following the deadly shooting, McMillian is facing multiple charges that were handed down Wednesday, which include: one count of first-degree murder of a police officer, one count of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder of a police officer, one count of residential burglary, one count of unlawful use of a weapon (machine gun) and one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.
Police said prior to the shooting, he was facing two felony cases in Will County and was released from prison earlier this year:
- 2023 MFG/DEL cannabis
- 2024 Attempt FOID/defeat screen test
- 2019 Aggravated discharge of a firearm – Will County – 4 years IDOC - parole discharge on July 17While in jail, McMillian was also charged with aggravated battery GBH and mob action following an attack that happened inside the Will County Jail. He pled guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor battery, police said.
- While in jail, McMillian was also charged with aggravated battery GBH and mob action following an attack that happened inside the Will County Jail. He pled guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor battery, police said.
In DuPage County, McMillian was charged with attempted aggravated fleeing and eluding misdemeanor.