Prosecutors say two men battered, robbed, and threatened to kidnap an undercover Chicago police officer who tried to buy $10 worth of drugs from them on Wednesday. Both of the accused men have been convicted of felony narcotics charges five times in the past.
The undercover cop gave a man $10 for drugs and was then escorted by that man to a nearby parking lot where Jamil Campbell and Maurice Bishop were waiting, prosecutors said.
Campbell, 37, allegedly pulled the officer’s pants down, lifted his shirt, and rifled through his wallet. Prosecutors said he grabbed the cop by the collar and dragged him into the street while telling the man who had taken the officer’s $10 to keep the money and leave.
As Campbell pulled the officer into the traffic lanes of a nearby street, he yelled, “Kidnap him! Come on! Get in this van,” prosecutors said. Bishop, 33, allegedly grabbed the cop by the neck and chest so he couldn’t leave and pushed the officer toward the van.
Prosecutors said the cop managed to free himself, and backup units moved in to arrest Campbell and Bishop.
Police allegedly found four bags of pot in Campbell’s backpack and 36 baggies of suspected cocaine in his waistband. According to prosecutors, the drugs were worth $4,330.
Bishop was paroled in July after serving half of a three-year sentence for narcotics.
A public defender said Campbell is the father of four and regularly attends mosque. Bishop lives with his mother, has five children, and attends church, the lawyer said.
Prosecutors charged both men with robbery. Campbell is also charged with delivery of a controlled substance and possession of cannabis.
Judge Kelly McCarthy ordered both men to pay $25,000 toward their bail amounts to get out of jail on electronic monitoring. She said Bishop would be held without bail until the Illinois Department of Corrections reviews his parole status.
The man who initially took the undercover cop’s $10 drug payment is charged with a misdemeanor.
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