CHICAGO — A 23-year-old man has been remanded to jail as he awaits trial for the deadly shooting of Chicago Police Officer Enrique Martinez.
Darion McMillian appeared in a Cook County courtroom that was packed with law enforcement personnel and family members of the fallen officer.
Judge Deidre Dyer determined that McMillian posed a threat to public safety.
He is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder of a police officer, residential burglary, and various weapons offenses.
Officer Martinez, who was just 26 years old, was shot on Monday while he and fellow officers attempted to stop a vehicle obstructing traffic in the South Side area of Chicago.
According to Chief of Detectives Antoinette Ursitti, while Officer Martinez and his partner were conversing with the driver, McMillian—sitting as the front passenger—was caught reaching for a bag located on the floor.
When the officers commanded him to halt, McMillian allegedly drew a handgun equipped with a machine-gun conversion kit and an extended magazine, subsequently firing at Martinez, injuring both him and the driver, as stated by Ursitti.
McMillian was apprehended shortly afterward following a pursuit and search operation.
Tragically, Martinez was later declared dead at a local hospital, and the vehicle’s driver also succumbed to injuries.
A third individual in the back seat was taken into custody but released once investigators determined he had no involvement in the incident.
During the court proceedings, McMillian was defended by a public defender; however, there was no response to a phone inquiry at the public defender’s office after business hours on Thursday.
Ursitti noted that at the time of the shooting, McMillian was out on bail due to a previous arrest related to an attempt to manipulate a drug and alcohol screening test.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is currently conducting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
