Xavier Tate in court: Man charged with killing Officer Luis Huesca enters plea

Man accused of killing Chicago Police Officer Huesca due in court

Xavier Tate, the man accused of killing Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca in April, was due back in court Tuesday. Tate was charged with first-degree murder and other felonies.

CHICAGO - The man charged with fatally shooting Chicago Police Officer Luis M. Huesca appeared in court and pleaded not guilty on Tuesday.

Xavier L. Tate, 22, was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Huesca on April 21. Huesca was on his way home from work when he was shot 10 times and killed by Tate during a carjacking in Gage Park, according to prosecutors.

Last month, police announced new details about Huesca's murder. Just before 3 a.m. that Sunday, officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert near 55th Street and Kedzie Avenue, where they found Huesca suffering from multiple gunshot wounds nearby.

The 30-year-old officer was then taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 3:22 a.m., according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.

CPD Chief of Detectives Antoinette Ursitti said after the murder, Tate used a relative's bank card to buy a bottle of water at a store.

"Detectives identified Tate through the relative who allowed Tate to use the bank card. Both the water bottle and the clothing that Tate was wearing that day were found near where Huesca's stolen car was located," Ursitti said.

Police said Tate's DNA was detected on ballistic evidence gathered from the scene of the shooting. Tate's fingerprints were found on a fence he was seen jumping over after the murder, Ursitti said.

New details on Xavier Tate's arrest in the killing of Officer Luis Huesca

New details emerged Friday in the arrest of a suspected cop killer.

Ursitti said law enforcement went to Wisconsin and Iowa to look for Tate after reports that he had fled the state.

Further investigation led police to an apartment in Glendale Heights where Tate was taken into custody with Huesca's own handcuffs on May 1.

A day later, Tate was charged with first-degree murder, aggravated vehicular hijacking and possession of a stolen firearm.

"My confidence in Supt. Snelling and Chief Ursitti and the entire police department, has been strengthened in this moment," Mayor Brandon Johnson said. "I am grateful that we are moving with expediency to bring justice to the Huesca family. Again, I am deeply sorry for this loss, but yet confident that we can build a better, stronger, safer Chicago together."

Malik Murphy was charged with concealing or aiding a fugitive for allowing Tate to stay in his apartment, knowing he was wanted by Chicago police for first-degree murder.

Caschaus Tate, a relative of Xavier's, was arrested last week and accused of disposing of Huesca's service weapon, which has been recovered. He was charged with one felony county of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.