CHATHAM — A Northwest Illinois man pointed an assault-style gun at officers throughout a foot chase that resulted within the pleasant hearth taking pictures demise of Officer Krystal Rivera Thursday on the South Aspect, based on police and county prosecutors.
Adrian Rucker, 25 of Freeport, Illinois, has been charged within the police confrontation that led to Rivera’s demise. Rucker is charged with 5 felonies, together with armed violence, possessing a firearm he was ineligible to personal and possession of a managed substance, amongst others.
He was ordered held in jail pending a trial at his first courtroom listening to Sunday.
Rivera, 36, of Irving Park, was a mom of a younger daughter and had been with the police division for 4 years, Supt. Larry Snelling mentioned Friday.
Rivera was “younger, vibrant and a tough employee,” Snelling mentioned.
About 9:50 p.m. Thursday, officers had been patrolling after they tried to make “an investigatory cease” of an individual they believed was armed within the 8200 block of South Drexel Avenue, Snelling mentioned on the information convention.
The individual bumped into a close-by condo constructing and the officers chased them into an condo, the place they had been confronted by Rucker, who was standing behind a sofa and had a gun pointed on the officers, Snelling mentioned.
Rucker was seen on surveillance footage contained in the condo constructing holding an AR-style pistol. When officers entered the condo, the individual being pursued by police leapt over a sofa and ran down a hallway within the condo whereas Rucker pointed the gun in the direction of officers, Assistant States Attorneys Brad Vail and Joell Bisceglia mentioned in courtroom Sunday.
Rivera’s associate, standing within the doorway, by chance fired their gun as Rivera chased the suspect down the hallway, prosecutors mentioned.
Rivera was struck. The Cook dinner County Medical Examiner’s Workplace reported Friday that Rivera died from a gunshot wound to the again.
Officers received Rivera right into a automobile and tried to hurry her to a hospital, however they crashed and the automobile caught hearth. Rivera was moved into one other automobile and brought to the hospital, the place she died from her wounds, Snelling informed reporters Friday.
One other officer suffered a wrist harm and was hospitalized in truthful situation, police mentioned.
Rucker made good on his escape however was apprehended 22 hours later, prosecutors mentioned.
Three firearms, together with two AR pistols and a Glock handgun, had been discovered within the condo alongside suspected heroin, crack cocaine and marijuana paraphernalia. Additionally found had been a number of fraudulent identification playing cards from Arizona, California, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Ohio, Bisceglia mentioned.
Rucker has an intensive legal report relationship again to 2015, with a slew of convictions and warrants coming from Stephenson and Winnebago counties in Northwest Illinois, the place his city of Freeport is positioned, based on prosecutors.
Most of Rucker’s convictions had been associated to home battery and identification theft, however he additionally has a historical past of illegal firearm discharge and confronted a car theft cost in Harris County, Texas, prosecutors mentioned. Rucker additionally had 5 excellent warrants and failed to seem to a number of courtroom hearings.
The 25-year-old appeared in courtroom Sunday, the place the courtroom was filled with law enforcement officials supporting Rivera. A lady who was later recognized as a member of the family of Rivera was seen crying following courtroom proceedings.
Rucker’s public defender identified that many items of proof utilized by the prosecution had not but been produced and known as into query the veracity of the claims. It was additionally famous that Rucker was self-employed, volunteered in his free time and attended church. He lives together with his mom and two brothers and is anticipating a baby.
“Based mostly on the background of the defendant and the proof introduced, [Rucker] is an actual and current menace,” Boliker mentioned.
Whereas Decide Shauna Boliker acknowledged the protection, she cited the state legal professional’s burden of proof, Rucker’s legal historical past and his historical past with evading legislation enforcement as causes to detain the 25-year-old. He’s awaiting a number of trials for his excellent warrants this month, however his subsequent courtroom date for the armed violence and firearm fees is Thursday.
Rivera was near her 10-year-old daughter, who informed the Solar-Instances Friday that her mom gave her a tighter hug than regular earlier than she left for work Thursday.
“Our officer that we misplaced tonight — this occurs manner too usually,” Snelling mentioned at a press convention. “An officer, a younger officer, 36 years outdated and 4 years on the job, who was working onerous, working extraordinarily onerous within the sixth District to get weapons off the road, to save lots of lives.
“These officers are out right here driving down crime whereas placing their lives in danger. I would like everybody to maintain this officer’s household in your prayers and perceive the danger that she took each single day when she got here out to do her job.”
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