Accused gunman denied release in murder of Chicago Police Officer Enrique Martinez
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The man accused of shooting and killing Chicago Police Officer Enrique Martinez was ordered held in jail until trial when he made his first court appearance on Thursday.
Darion McMillian, 23, is charged with one count each of first-degree murder of a police officer, first-degree murder, attempted murder of a police officer, residential burglary, unlawful use of a weapon—specifically a machine gun—and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.
He's accused not only of killing Officer Martinez during a traffic stop on Monday night, but also 23-year-old Mario Chambers, the driver of the car McMillian was in.
Dozens of officers formed a human shield around Martinez's family in the courtroom on Thursday, blocking the aisles so McMillian couldn't see the fallen officer's relatives when he went before a judge to face charges.
"It's hard being in there. I mean, like, I'm trembling right now. It's just ... it's hard for us, and it's becoming too common," said Officer Carlos Yanez Jr., who was wounded in the same August 2021 shooting that killed his partner, Ella French, dead.
Cook County Judge Deidre Dyer ordered McMillian detained at Cook County Jail as he awaits trial, ruling he's a danger not just to the community but to his own friends. The judge also said there was no reason McMillian should have been carrying a gun, because he's a convicted felon.
Prosecutors said Martinez and his partner responded to a call in the East Chatham neighborhood on Monday night.
That call turned out to be a false report, but while they were in the area, they saw a Ford Escape double parked in the 8000 block of South Ingleside Avenue. Martinez approached the driver's side, while his partner was on the passenger side.
Prosecutors said McMillian was in the front passenger seat of the car as officers approached, when they noticed him reaching for a backpack at his feet.
The officers repeatedly ordered him to stop, but instead McMillian pulled out a .40 caliber handgun equipped with a machine gun conversion device and an extended magazine.
Prosecutors said, as McMillian fired at Martinez, he also shot his own friend, Chambers, who was in the driver's seat.
Prosecutors said Martinez was shot five times. Chambers was shot multiple times in the face.
After shooting Martinez and Chambers, prosecutors said McMillian then shoved Chambers out of the car and climbed into the driver's seat and drove off, dragging Martinez's partner, whose gun went off in the process.
"Callous enough to kill his own associate, and shove him out of the car like a dead piece of meat; that's what we have wandering the street," said Chicago Fraternal order of Police president John Catanzara.
After fleeing the scene of the shooting, McMillian later crashed the car and ran into a woman's apartment, according to prosecutors.
"Witness 2 observed the defendant proceed to try and cut off the electronic monitoring bracelet he was wearing. The defendant told Witness 2 he did something bad and he needed a sharper knife," Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Ann McCord said.
McMillian was on electronic monitoring at the time of the shooting because of an arrest involving a drug test.
Prosecutors said 14 shell casings were found in the car after McMillian was arrested, cocaine was found on McMillian, and baby bottles filled with codeine were found on the front floor of the car.
McMillian is due back in court on Nov. 26.
Martinez was the second Chicago police officer to be killed in the line of duty this year. Officer Luis Huesca was shot and killed in April while returning home from his shift.
Martinez was engaged to be married. His funeral arrangements are still pending.
