An 18-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder for firing shots at police detectives investigating a homicide in the West Garfield Park neighborhood Tuesday night, according to prosecutors.
John Montgomery, 18, of the 4200 block of West Maypole, was charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, and one count of criminal trespass to a residence, all felonies, according to Chicago Police.
About 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, two detectives were investigating a homicide in the 200 block of North Karlov that had happened earlier in the day, Assistant State’s Attorney April Gonzales said at Montgomery’s bond hearing Thursday.
The officers were in an unmarked Ford Fusion with an M-plate, and were both wearing police vests, Gonzales said.
The officers drove the wrong way down Karlov and made a right turn on West End, Gonzales said. As they approached the alley between Karlov and Keeler, they waited for a black car to back out of the alley.
Montgomery and another person were in the alley waiting for a tow truck to pick up the other person’s car, and as the detectives pulled into the alley, Montgomery immediately opened fire on their car, Gonzales said.
As Montgomery fired between four and five times, he stepped forward toward the vehicle, striking the driver’s side window and door, Gonzales said.
The detectives ducked down in the car until the shots ended, and did not return fire. They were not wounded in the shooting.
Montgomery ran from the scene and the detectives called for assistance, Gonzales said. They tried to run after Montgomery, but he ran into a home on Maypole.
Once inside the house, Montgomery took off his coat and handgun, though the residents hadn’t invited him inside and repeatedly told him to leave, Gonzales said. He didn’t immediately comply, but eventually left.
The residents alerted police that he had been in their home and during a search, the officers recovered the jacket and handgun in the basement, Gonzales said.
The .380 caliber handgun recovered from the house matched the shell casings from the scene of the shooting, Gonzales said. Two separate witnesses also identified Montgomery as the shooter.
Montgomery was arrested after leaving the house on Maypole, and admitted to shooting at the occupied vehicle, and leaving his jacket and gun in the house, Gonzales said.
Judge Peggy Chiampas ordered Montgomery held without bond Thursday.