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| Cedrick Johnson was arrested outside of Beatnix costume shop in Boystown. | CPD; Google |
A Lakeview man who initially refused to press charges after being beaten with a hammer during an online hook-up Friday evening had a change of heart and decided to prosecute after the alleged offender injured several officers during a confrontation in the heart of Boystown hours later.
Police say 29-year-old Cedrick Johnson of Uptown met a 47-year-old man in the 600 block of West Aldine on Friday evening. At some point, Johnson, who used the name “Lamar” online, struck the victim repeatedly in the head with a hammer and stole property, including the man’s cellular phone, according to a police report and a source.
About two hours later, the victim told police that he no longer wished to pursue charges against his attacker and officers canceled evidence technician services for the scene, where a hammer was found and blood was spattered on walls and throughout a bedroom, reports show.
The victim was treated and released from Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center for multiple “indentations of the cranium,” an officer said.
Later, around 12:50 a.m. on Saturday, the victim called the police again after he tracked his stolen phone and discovered that it was pinging near a convenience store in the 3400 block of North Halsted.
Responding officers were flagged down about 20 minutes later by the victim who pointed them toward Johnson. After a short foot pursuit, Johnson attacked one of the cops by striking him in the head and spraying him with pepper spray, police said.
“The offender then hit the officer in the head with the pepper spray [can], causing it to explode,” a police spokesperson said. Three additional officers and at least one bystander were overcome by the effects of the spray. Johnson punched officers as they tried to take them into custody, according to a CPD statement.
One sergeant and three patrol officers were treated and released at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, police said.
Johnson, a convicted felon, is charged with eight felony counts of aggravated battery of a police officer, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery causing great bodily harm; theft; and possession of a controlled substance.
Judge Arthur Willis ordered Johnson held without bail.
Police recovered a cellular phone that was returned to the victim, police said.
Editor’s note: Cedrick Johnson’s name is spelled correctly in our reporting. Other outlets are not including the “k” of his first name due to a spelling error in the CPD press release.
