Jacqueline Reynolds | Homicide Watch Chicago

Comment of the Day: "His decision put into play my friend's death and one of the worst phone calls I've ever had to receive at work"

Michael Lansu — Tue, 24 Feb 2015 16:21:08 -0600

Timothy Jones was convicted Feb. 21 of the murder of Jacqueline Reynolds after a Chicago Police car slammed into her during a high-speed chase Jones initiated following a residential burglary. Reader Dionne Stewart Smith posted this about the killing:

Jackie was a personal freind [sic] of mine..and I couldn't be happier at the outcome. This young man had a choice to make when he woke up that morning. He could've been a productive law abiding citizen or break the law. His decision put into play my friend's death and one of the worst phone calls I've ever had to receive at work.

Timothy Jones guilty of murder after leading Chicago Police on deadly chase that killed Jacqueline Reynolds

Michael Lansu — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 22:28:26 -0600

Timothy Jones / Photo from Chicago Police

BY RUMMANA HUSSAIN
Chicago Sun-Times

A South Side man was convicted Saturday of the murder of a woman who was killed when a Chicago Police car slammed into her during a high-speed chase the man initiated following a residential burglary.

Although Cook County jurors found Timothy Jones guilty of Jacqueline Reynolds’ murder based on a May 8, 2013 residential burglary, they acquitted him on home invasion and armed robbery charges.

The jurors, who were sequestered after failing to reach a verdict Friday night, returned the verdicts after roughly two hours of deliberation.

During Jones’ three-day trial, defense attorney Keith Spence argued that the officers pursuing his client were responsible for Reynolds’ death because they neglected to follow department policy and procedures by driving recklessly.

Reynolds’ death was tragic, Spence said in his closing arguments, but “it wasn’t Tim’s fault.”

Reynolds, who was in her 50s, was killed when Gresham District patrol officer James Sivicek’s police Tahoe rammed into her blue car in the 2400 block of East 76th Street, causing her to hit another vehicle and sending him into a tailspin.

Sivicek said he immediately tended to Reynolds as Jones fled.

Jones had been erratically barreling through the streets alone at a high rate of speed after his friends had gotten out of his cousin’s car and ran, prosecutors said.

Before that, Jones and one of his pals held up Lee Davis at his apartment, in the 7800 block of South Ellis Avenue, and took cash, Air Jordan gym shoes, an iPad, an iPhone and several bank cards, prosecutors said.

Jones took the stand Friday, admitting to jurors that he ran through red lights and stop signs during the chase but only because he saw an officer waving a gun at him before he zipped down 76th Street.

“There’s a guy behind me with a gun. I’m not going to stop for no one,” said Jones.

Jacqueline Reynolds / Photo from ABC7 Chicago

The former college football player also said he feared for his life after Davis threatened him and a friend with a weapon when they came to recoup money he said Davis owed him for the illegal credit card business they operated together.

Jones said Davis opened the door for him voluntarily that spring morning.

But Davis testified that he didn’t know Jones and only opened the door to his first-floor apartment because he thought it was his girlfriend, who had just left to go on a shopping trip.

Jones, who said he never had a firearm on him the day of the incident, claimed he never knew there was crash and that Reynolds had died until after his arrest.

He confessed he lied to detectives when he was interrogated, because two years ago, he was just a “kid.”

Assistant State’s Attorney Barbara Bailey said Jones was “hiding” the truth and said it was laughable that he insisted he was honking his horn warning other motorists as he eluded police.

“His running ends today. He’s responsible for all the actions he set in motion. He’s responsible for this fatality,” she said.

Man charged with death of woman struck and killed by police during chase

John Carpenter — Fri, 10 May 2013 10:25:28 -0500

Sun-Times Media Wire; May 10, 2013
A 20-year-old man who led police on a high-speed chase Wednesday was charged with the death of a motorist who was accidentally struck and killed by officers pursuing him.

Timothy Jones, of the 12500 block of South Union Avenue, was charged with the death of 59-year-old Chicago resident Jacqueline Reynolds, according to a statement release by Chicago police early Friday.

In addition to a murder charge, Jones also faces one count of home invasion, one count of leaving the scene of an accident and one count of fleeing from police officers, according to the statement.

Jones was also cited for driving 30 mph above the speed limit, blowing through a stoplight, driving without insurance and failure to stop for emergency vehicles.

Just before leading police on the chase, Jones allegedly forced his way into a Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood home about 10:20 a.m., armed with a handgun, police said.

Officers were en route to the home, in the 7800 block of South Ellis Avenue, when they saw Jones pass by in a vehicle, police said at the time.

At some point during the ensuing chase, police collided with Reynolds’ car near the 2400 block of East 76th Street. Jones used the opportunity to escape police, according to the charges.

Reynolds, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office said.

Two officers inured in the accident were also taken to Northwestern with non life-threatening injuries, according to police.

After the initial impact with the police cruiser, Reynolds’ car struck a third vehicle, police said. A male in that vehicle was hospitalized in “stable” condition, while a female fled the scene on foot.

An autopsy Thursday found that Reynolds, of the 7800 block of South Phillips Avenue, died of multiple blunt force injuries caused by a motor vehicle collision and her death was ruled an accident, the medical examiners’ office said.

Jones was scheduled to appear in court Friday morning.