An Avondale man was so irritated that a cabbie followed him after he rammed into the taxi driver’s car, he shot the cabbie’s vehicle, authorities said.
“I didn’t mean to shoot at him,” police said 44-year-old Randy Willis told them after the alleged Christmas Day road-rage incident.
“I just tried to scare him so he would stop following me.”
Willis, who is unemployed, told officers he was initially upset that the cab was parked in the middle of the street near a bar, in the 2500 block of North Milwaukee Avenue. So, authorities said, he struck the 31-year-old tax driver’s car with his vehicle.
“That f—— taxi was parked in the middle of the street in front of The Owl when I hit him,” Willis allegedly said.
The cabbie then tailed Willis as he drive off, authorities said.
Willis was so mad he was being followed, at one point he screamed at the cabbie, “Why are you following me?” Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Erin Antonietti said.
Willis then shot at the back of the taxi, hitting it twice.
The cabbie kept following Willis until Willis’ car was disabled in front of an alley near Willis’ apartment, in the 3000 block of North Elbridge Avenue, authorities said.
Willis started barricading the alley with garbage cans in an attempt to stop the determined taxi driver, Antonietti said.
When police responded to a call of an accident and fired shots, they saw the cab driver near the barricaded alley.
The cab driver identified Willis, and Willis was taken into custody.
Willis’ car sustained front-end damage and was missing the front driver’s side tire, police said.
In Willis’ front pocket, officers found his vehicle’s torn registration plate, according to an arrest report.
Police also recovered the .22 caliber revolver Willis allegedly used to shoot at the taxi.
Judge Adam Bourgeois Jr. ordered Willis held in lieu of $350,000 Friday for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, aggravated discharge of a firearm and possession of a firearm with defaced serial numbers.
He was also cited with several traffic violations and misdemeanors, including failure to reduce speed and criminal damage to property over $300.
