Arrested after a chase through South Side, suspect tries to escape again — through ceiling of police station, authorities say

Tajze Mullins, 23, has been charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault of a police officer and escape. He was ordered held without bail Sunday.

SHARE Arrested after a chase through South Side, suspect tries to escape again — through ceiling of police station, authorities say
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A man wanted in Texas and Chicago is accused of backing into an officer trying to arrest him on DuSable Lake Shore Drive, then speeding off as another officer fired at his black BMW, weaving through traffic on the Stevenson Expressway before finally being arrested on the South Side as a helicopter tracked his movements.

But Tajze Mullins, 23, wasn’t finished fleeing from police, authorities say.

After being taken into custody and brought to the Area 3 police station Friday night, Mullins pulled off a ceiling grate and climbed into the ceiling, according to court records. Pieces of the ceiling and duct work crashed onto desks in the station before he was cornered.

Mullins was charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault of a police officer and escape. He was ordered held without bail Sunday.

Mullins had been wanted by police since March 9, when he allegedly attacked a Cook County sheriff’s police officer, according to court records. Chicago police spotted his BMW stopped at a light at Lake Shore Drive and Roosevelt Road around 8:15 p.m. Friday.

As officers approached the BMW, he backed up and hit one of the officers and sped away while the other officer fired a shot. No one was hit, but a bullet struck the right passenger door of a Lyft car, according to court records. The officer hit by the car suffered a broken leg.

Mullins “then erratically maneuvered his vehicle in and about traffic, nearly striking several other responding officers,” a police report states. Mullins and a passenger ditched the car in the 7100 block of South Lafayette Avenue but both were arrested. police said. 

Once in custody, Mullins gave a bogus name, but police learned that, in addition to the attack on the sheriff’s officer, Mullins was wanted in Texas for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and engaging in organized crimes. Details of those crimes were not available.

Mullins was due back in court Tuesday.

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