Chicago Sun-Times

FELON ON PAROLE CHARGED WITH TRYING TO KILL 6 COPS

- Staff Reporters BY SAM CHARLES AND MATTHEW HENDRICKSO­N

A felon on parole was charged with the attempted murder of six Chicago police officers in connection with a gun battle Thursday at a Northwest Side police station.

Lovelle Jordan, 25, was accused Friday of opening fire at the officers from the back seat of a police vehicle with a handgun he managed to keep hidden when he was taken into custody after allegedly getting into a stolen 2018 Porsche in the Austin neighborho­od.

Jordan faces six counts of attempted murder, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, one count of being an armed habitual criminal, one count of unlawful use of a weapon, possession of stolen vehicle and two misdemeano­r counts of resisting arrest, according to police and Cook County prosecutor­s.

“He tried to kill six police officers,” Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said during a news conference Friday morning before Jordan’s initial hearing on the charges.

Jordan fired at least five shots at the officers, striking one in the shoulder; fragments from that bullet wounded that officer in the neck, prosecutor­s said. The officer is in a medically induced coma as he receives treatment.

Two other officers were also hurt.

Jordan was shot multiple times when officers returned fire, causing him to be paralyzed from the chest down, prosecutor­s said. He remained in custody at Stroger Hospital.

Judge Arthur Wesley Willis ordered Jordan held without bail.

“This is a matter where I would be afraid if he were released,” the judge said.

Deenihan said officers were called about 9 a.m. Thursday to investigat­e a suspicious vehicle in the 4800 block of West North Avenue. They found the Porsche, which was unoccupied, and determined it was stolen.

The Porsche was being rented by a man who was asleep in the car Sunday when an unidentifi­ed person stole the car at gunpoint, prosecutor­s said.

As the officers were completing paperwork, Jordan “walked right up,” entered the Porsche and tried to drive away, Deenihan said, adding much of the interactio­n was on video.

“It just shows how emboldened these criminals are,” Deenihan said. “The cops are right there, and he just jumps in this vehicle and tries to start it and drive away.”

Responding officers quickly moved to detain Jordan, who was wrestling with the officers trying to arrest him, Deenihan said. Once handcuffed, with his hands behind his back, Jordan pleaded with officers to let him move his hands to the front of his body. Officers said no.

Though officers requested a squadrol van to transport Jordan to the station, a CPD SUV equipped with a backseat cage was in the area. Jordan was put in the SUV and taken to the Grand Central District police station at 5555 W. Grand Ave.

While in the SUV, Jordan was able to move his hands to the front of his body. Then he pulled an “extremely secreted” gun from his “private area,” Deenihan said.

Once at the sally port — a secure interior area where arrestees are moved from police vehicles into the station — an officer opened the back door of the SUV and Jordan opened fire, Deenihan said. The handgun, he said, had been stolen.

Deenihan, who said Jordan was searched before he was placed in the SUV, also gave a full-throated defense of the actions of all officers involved.

“They didn’t do anything wrong,” he said. “It’s the offender’s actions that led to this officer getting shot.”

In addition to the officer who was shot, two other officers suffered less serious wounds: One was shot in his vest, but the bullet didn’t penetrate; the other officer was wounded in the hip. Two other officers were taken to a hospital for chest pains.

Court records show Jordan was paroled from prison in April after he was convicted of being a felon in possession of a gun. Deenihan said Jordan was on electronic monitoring until last month.

Jordan has also been convicted of aggravated assault with a vehicle, possession of a controlled substance and manufactur­ing/delivering cocaine.

 ?? ASHLEE REZIN GARCIA/SUN-TIMES ?? Chicago police investigat­e outside the Grand Central police station at 5555 W. Grand Ave. on Thursday.
ASHLEE REZIN GARCIA/SUN-TIMES Chicago police investigat­e outside the Grand Central police station at 5555 W. Grand Ave. on Thursday.
 ??  ?? Lovelle Jordan
Lovelle Jordan

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