Jeffon Williams, who shot two Chicago police officers during a 2020 traffic stop, later telling an investigator, “F*** that officer, I hope he dies,” has been sentenced to 91 years in prison.
A jury convicted Williams on August 14 of nine felony counts, including multiple charges of attempted murder, and Judge Steven Watkins on Monday handed down his punishment: two consecutive 45-year prison terms for the attempted murders and a consecutive one-year sentence for unlawful use of a weapon. Williams must serve 85% of the attempted murder sentences.
Williams was 19 years old when he shot two CPD officers in Homan Square early on August 30, 2020. At the time of the shooting, he was on bail for pending burglary and stolen motor vehicle cases.
At about 2:30 a.m., uniformed officers in a marked squad car were investigating a “person with a gun” call when they saw Williams make a U-turn in a vehicle without a license plate in the 3300 block of West Polk Street. The cops followed his vehicle but did not try to stop it until Williams turned onto a side street.
Two additional officers arrived to assist, and the police conducted the traffic stop. Before officers reached the vehicle, Williams lowered the back seat of his vehicle and climbed into the trunk, according to prosecutors. Moments later, an officer shone a light through the tinted windows and saw a handgun with an extended magazine on the center console.
Williams then crawled from the back seat toward the gun and ignored repeated commands to exit the vehicle, prosecutors said. The police broke the car’s windows and pulled him out as he grabbed the firearm. Four officers pinned Williams to the ground, but he refused to show his hands and kept the gun beneath his body, prosecutors said.
After a 12-second struggle, Williams began firing, striking two officers. The other officers took cover as Williams ran from the scene with the gun. A responding unit chased Williams, who turned and pointed the firearm at an officer, prompting the officer to fire multiple shots that struck and critically injured Williams.
When investigators later asked Williams about the shooting, he allegedly replied, “F*** that officer, I hope he dies.”
Both injured officers were men with roughly two years on the force. One was shot in the shoulder. The other suffered more serious injuries, including gunshot wounds to his torso and arm that caused lung and intestinal damage.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability has not released body-worn camera footage or other investigative materials related to the incident because a judge ordered those records withheld while Williams’ case was pending.
Original reporting you’ll see nowhere else, paid for by our readers. Click here to support our work.
