Two men accused of shooting an on-duty Chicago fireman who was working to put out a car fire in Albany Park last year have reached plea deals with prosecutors.
Investigators believe two men set the car ablaze on the 3600 block of West Wilson to draw rivals from a nearby apartment building into an ambush on February 8, 2020. When people started coming out of the complex, two gunmen shot at them and two of the intended victims returned fire, prosecutors said. One round struck a fireman in his leg as he worked to put out the car fire.
Detectives made undercover narcotics purchases in the area to collect intelligence about who was responsible for the shooting. Hollis Williams and Jermaine White were identified as the men who shot back, striking the fireman, prosecutors said.
When cops tried to arrest Williams, he rammed a police sergeant’s car and ran over another cop’s foot, police said. White was arrested in south suburban Lansing a few days later.
Both men have now entered into plea agreements with prosecutors, according to court records.
White pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, which was reduced from aggravated battery of an on-duty fireman by discharging a firearm. Judge William Flood sentenced him to three years with 424 days credit for time served, records show.
Williams pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, which was also reduced from aggravated battery of an on-duty fireman by discharging a firearm. He also pleaded guilty to aggravated battery of a police officer. Flood sentenced him to three years on each count to be served concurrently. He’ll receive credit for 427 days served.
The fireman, who was 36-years-old at the time of the shooting, had been a fireman for six years and was expected to recover fully, authorities said last year.
Less than two weeks after the fireman was shot, a 27-year-old woman who had a relationship with one of the men was murdered by a man who forced his way into her apartment in the 4400 block of North Francisco. Police said they believed the murder of Stephanie Brooks was retaliation for the earlier shooting.