Natalia Chi
Chicago — Wednesday, six years after he died. I was shot and almost killed Cain Wise returned to court after trying to escape in a stolen SUV when he was caught between two cars by a Chicago police officer.
Prosecutors said he was one of three people who crashed into a stolen car that caught fire while a federal law enforcement helicopter was watching from above. Police said they found four handguns inside the car, two of which were stolen.
But let’s start with the first May 24, 2017.
Police injured, driver shot
Shortly after 11 a.m. that morning, two Chicago police officers patrolling the Austin area saw Mr. Wise standing next to the stolen Nissan Murano in an alleyway. CPD and COPA, the city’s police watchdogs, said other police officers had seen Wise driving the Murano the day before and tried to stop him, but Wise sped off. , abandoned the pursuit for driving at an unsafe speed.
When the officers stepped out to confront Weisz in an alleyway, Weisz sped away in an SUV, punching an officer in the leg and crashing into a patrol car. Officers pursued Weisz until he crashed into a white Audi that was carrying a woman and her 6-year-old grandson.
Wise, who had just turned 18 just 10 days ago, returned to her patrol car when two more officers arrived and joined the first two officers in ordering her to stop.
he didn’t. Instead, investigators determined that he drove towards a police officer he knew from a previous contact and forced the officer into the Audi and the patrol car. The detained officer let out a scream of pain as Mr. Wise revs the engine and keeps him stuck between the vehicles.
Fearing for his life, the officer fired three shots at Wise, hitting him in the neck and arm. Only then did the stolen Murano’s engine stop revving.
Police found a loaded handgun next to the driver’s seat in the Murano.
The city hired security firm Hillard Heinze to investigate. investigation Details of incidents carried out by COPA and its predecessor IPRA.Both city officials and Hillard Heinze said police officers Shooting Wise Was Justified.
guilty
In 2019, Weisz was convicted of six felonies. One was an aggravated assault that caused serious physical harm to a security officer. Intensification of violence against peace officers. aiding or abetting possession of a stolen vehicle; Cause bodily injury with aggravated escape. Worsening illegal use of weapons. It got worse and escaped through two or more traffic control devices.
Weisz was sentenced to various lengths of concurrent prison sentences, the longest being 12 years for jamming a police officer into an SUV.
With his sentence cut in half for good behavior and additional merit credits, Wise was released on March 24, less than six years after his arrest, according to Illinois Department of Corrections records.
another tracking
On Tuesday, CPD’s Vehicle Hijacking Task Force found a newly stolen Dodge Charger behind Union Station near Clinton and Jackson.
A US Customs and Border Protection high-tech helicopter tracked the Charger to River Forest, where it crashed and caught fire, prosecutors said.
Three escaped from the burning car, and all four were detained after helicopter crews escorted police officers to the ground. Wise is one of those captured by them.
On Wednesday morning, literally within minutes of being shot six years ago, Weisz was brought before a judge to face new charges.
back to court
Prosecutor Zachary Peethall told Judge Charles Beach about this week’s car chase. And he told the judge about the four guns police allegedly found in the stolen charger. A stolen handgun was found in a backpack in the backseat and taken away with the charger. A Glock handgun with a switch for automatic fire. Another stolen pistol.
Peasall did not tell the judge what happened in 2017, other than that Wise was out on parole.
Weisz has been charged only with a misdemeanor of vehicular burglary in connection with this week’s incident. Beach was ordered to post $3,000 bail to get out of prison.
But he won’t be out of prison anytime soon. Beach also ordered detention without bail under a robbery probation warrant from Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.
There was no indication at the hearing that IDOC plans to revoke Wise’s parole.
