WEEK IN REVIEW: Four men shot dead throughout city

Michael Lansu — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 09:13:58 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Four men were fatally shot throughout Chicago last week, and a south suburban woman was charged with murder for allegedly killing an off-duty police officer when she crashed a van during a high-speed chase.

The most recent murder happened Saturday night when Michael Stewart was fatally shot at a West Englewood party.

Stewart, 35, was at a house party in the 2000 block of West 67th Place when several people began fighting about 11:20 p.m. Saturday, authorities said.

One of the males involved in the fight left the party, but then returned and fired shots into the home from the outside, police said.

Stewart, of the 2200 block of West 8th Avenue in Gary, Ind., died at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

On Friday, Harold Cook allegedly fatally shot Terrell Wilson in the 4000 block of West Van Buren Street in the West Garfield Park neighborhood, authorities said.

Wilson, 21, was fighting with Cook’s brother when Cook got out of a car, chased Wilson and shot him in the neck about 12:45 p.m. Friday, authorities said.

Wilson, of the 1100 block of South Throop Street, died at the scene, according to the medical examiner's office.

Cook, 22, of the 4200 block of West West End Avenue, was charged with first-degree murder, authorities said.

On Tuesday, 19-year-old Bernardo Catalan was fatally shot in the 1900 block of North Rockewell Street in the Logan Square community about about 1:05 a.m., authorities said.

Catalan and a 23-year-old man were riding in a car through an alley in when a person exited from a vehicle in front of them and opened fire -- striking both men, authorities said.

The gunman got back in the vehicle and fled, police said. Catalan and the 23-year-old man drove to the nearby Shakespeare District police station.

The wounded men were then taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, police said. Catalan, of the 2100 block of North Bingham Street, died at the hospital Tuesday night, according to the medical examiner's office.

The killing started when 36-year-old Chad Collins was fatally shot just before 7 p.m. Monday in the 2300 block of East 75th Street in the South Shore neighborhood, authorities said.

Collins, of Harvey, was shot multiple times and died at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, authorities said.

Additionally, off-duty Chicago Police officer David L. Harris was killed when Shanell Terrell crashed a van into the car Harris was driving home from work as she tried to elude police early Friday on the South Side.

Terrell, 31, allegedly led Calumet Park police on a chase that approached 90 miles per hour, with Terrell swerving across multiple lanes of traffic and entering and exiting the Dan Ryan Expressway. Terrell drove through a red light at West 87th Street and South Lafayette Avenue, smashing into Harris’ Lexus.

The officer, still in his uniform, died at the scene. Harris, a father of two, was part of a Chicago Police Department “saturation” unit dispatched to high-crime areas on the South Side.

The medical examiner's office ruled the death an accident, but the Cook County State's Attorney's office charged Terrell with first-degree murder. Terrell, of Calumet Park, is being held on $10 million bond.

On Thursday, the state's attorney's office upgraded charges against a Hyde Park father whose 3-week-old daughter died this month to first-degree murder.

Emergency medical technician Jose Garcia allegedly shook his 3-week-old daughter Rachel Garcia then threw her in the air about 100 times March 1 at their home in the 5100 block of South Hyde Park Boulevard, prosecutors said. She died three days later after being taken off life support, authorities said.

Overall, the medical examiner’s office has ruled 57 Chicago deaths in 2014 a homicide -- including two people killed by police. Additionally, the state's attorney's office filed first-degree murder charges in Harris' death even though the autopsy ruled the death an accident.

Chicago Police, which counts murders different, has ruled at least three of the homicides as involuntary manslaughter or justified self-defense.

$10 million bond for woman charged with murder in crash that killed off-duty cop

Michael Lansu — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 18:25:55 -0500

Shanell Terrell / Photo from Cook County Sheriff's office

BY JON SEIDEL
Chicago Sun-Times

A Calumet Park woman was ordered held on $10 million bond Sunday after she was accused of leading police on a high-speed chase before running a red light and plowing into a Chicago Police officer’s car as he was heading home, killing him.

Shanell Terrell, 31, was charged with the first-degree murder of 42-year-old Officer David L. Harris. She allegedly was found to have cannabis in her system after her arrest early Friday and was driving without a license, authorities said.

Police first noticed the white van Terrell was allegedly driving at 12:51 a.m. Friday when a Calumet Park officer saw the van blow through a stop sign at 124th and Ada streets in Calumet Park, authorities said.

The van didn’t have its headlights on, and when police ran the plate, it came back not to the van but a Mercury sedan.

When police tried to pull the van over, it sped off, going through a red light at 119th Street and Ashland Avenue and heading north onto Interstate 57.

Terrell allegedly led police on a chase that approached 90 miles per hour, with Terrell swerving across multiple lanes of traffic and entering and exiting the Dan Ryan Expressway. Terrell drove through a red light at 87th Street and Lafayette Avenue, smashing into Harris’ Lexus.

The officer, still in his uniform, died at the scene. Harris, a father of two, was part of a Chicago Police Department “saturation” unit dispatched to high-crime areas on the South Side.

After the crash, authorities said, Terrell ran from the van, but a Calumet Park officer soon caught up with her. She broke her hand in the crash.

“These charges are a measure of justice for Officer Harris, as well as his family, friends and colleagues, though the pain of his loss makes the news bittersweet,” Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy said Saturday. “On behalf of the entire Chicago Police Department, I would like to express deepest condolences to the Harris family.”

Before joining the Chicago Police Department, Harris was a Maywood police officer from 1997 to 2003. While a member of the suburban department, Harris helped capture a man suspected of shooting a Bellwood police officer and was involved in a shootout with bank robbers, a police spokesman said.

A lawyer for the village of Calumet Park declined to discuss the pursuit that led to Harris’ death, saying it’s still under investigation. Police sources said the pursuit was called off before the accident but did not provide details.

Shanell Terrell | Homicide Watch Chicago

WEEK IN REVIEW: Four men shot dead throughout city

$10 million bond for woman charged with murder in crash that killed off-duty cop