A man accused of shooting at a Chicago police officer during a pursuit in Jefferson Park on Monday afternoon was wearing a court-ordered electronic monitoring bracelet from an earlier case at the time of the incident, prosecutors said Thursday.
Isaiah Martinez, 25, is charged with attempted first-degree murder of a peace officer and other felonies in connection with the shooting attempt, which all started at a McDonald’s drive-thru around 4 p.m.
In a detention filing, Assistant State’s Attorney Mike Pekara said a Chicago police sergeant spotted a stolen 2018 Jeep Cherokee in the drive-thru at 4946 North Milwaukee Avenue. The Jeep, reported stolen on August 5, had been under observation in the area the day before, and the sergeant was aware of its stolen status, Pekara said.
The sergeant, in full uniform and driving a marked squad car, positioned his vehicle to block the Jeep’s exit, then approached on foot. He ordered the driver, later identified as Martinez, to put the vehicle in park and raise his hands, Pekara said. Martinez complied only partially, lifting his hands but keeping the vehicle in gear. He allegedly accelerated forward, striking the sergeant’s squad car twice while ignoring commands to stop.
As the Jeep’s tires screeched and one became flat, Martinez pushed past the squad car and drove onto Gale Street. The sergeant pursued as Martinez turned onto Montrose Avenue, where the sergeant heard loud bangs and saw the Jeep’s rear window shatter. Multiple muzzle flashes followed from the driver’s side of the moving vehicle, prompting the sergeant to radio that shots were being fired, Pekara explained.
The chase continued into an alley between Meade and Moody Avenues, where other officers blocked Martinez’s path. He abruptly stopped, causing a pursuing police vehicle to hit the Jeep from behind, according to the detention filing.
When an assisting officer got out with his weapon drawn, Martinez allegedly knocked the gun from the officer’s hand and fled on foot before being tackled and taken into custody.
Investigators later recovered a .45-caliber pistol from the Jeep’s floorboard with its slide locked back, indicating it had been fired until empty, Pekara said. Nine spent shell casings matching the weapon were found inside.
Police also documented bullet damage to a garden apartment and a parked car along Montrose Avenue, as well as to the pursuing officer’s squad car.
After being read his rights, Martinez admitted knowing the Jeep was stolen and said he fired the gun eight times “to scare the police off,” Pekara wrote.
At the time of the shooting, Martinez was on pretrial electronic monitoring for a separate case involving aggravated assault, fleeing and eluding, and resisting arrest stemming from a June 25 incident in the same neighborhood.
In that case, prosecutors said he ignored police orders, rammed cars, and then fled on foot before being captured. He was still wearing his electronic monitoring bracelet when cops arrested him Monday.
In addition to attempted murder, he is charged with armed violence, unlawful possession of a firearm by a repeat felony offender, aggravated discharge of a firearm, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, and aggravated battery to a police officer.
Judge James Costello ordered him detained as a public safety risk.
Martinez has prior convictions for unlawful use of a weapon by a felon in 2018, burglary in 2014, and battery in 2021, according to prosecutors.
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