A convicted assassin now working as a violence interrupter was allowed to stroll away with out costs after cops discovered a firearm in his automobile throughout a routine visitors cease, in accordance with information obtained by CWBChicago. That’s as a result of the city’s police chief personally intervened and ordered cops to not prosecute the matter.
And, CWBChicago has discovered, the directive from Markham Police Chief Jack Genius got here down earlier than officers submitted the case for routine overview by prosecutors.
Markham officers initially refused to supply CWBChicago with any studies, movies, or different supplies associated to the arrest. However they reversed course final week after the Illinois Legal professional Normal’s Workplace pressured the town to adjust to the state’s open information legal guidelines.
The person on the heart of the case is Tyrone Muhammad, 54. He served 20 years for a 1994 homicide on Chicago’s West Aspect. He now leads Ex Cons for Neighborhood and Social Change, seems incessantly on native and nationwide information packages, and is campaigning to exchange retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin.
Shortly earlier than 9:30 p.m. on October 8, a Markham police officer stopped Muhammad’s Chrysler 300 as a result of its registration was suspended for a compulsory insurance coverage violation, in accordance with information. Moments after asking Muhammad to step out of the automobile, the officer discovered a loaded Smith and Wesson pistol within the heart console straight subsequent to the motive force’s seat, physique cam video exhibits. As a convicted felon, Muhammad can not possess a firearm. In an interview final week, Muhammad mentioned the gun belongs to his spouse.
Throughout the cease, Muhammad repeatedly talked about elected officers and referred to as consideration to a Harvey alderwoman standing close by.
He additionally questioned the officer’s choice to run his plates, asking, “That’s the way you do it? Is that profiling?”
“It’s not profiling in any respect,” answered the officer.
“All of the doggone shootings, violence I cease in Chicago, I simply ensuring,” Muhammad replied.
After taking a seat on the curb, Muhammad instructed a backup officer, “I do, um, violence prevention,” then nodded towards a lady watching the cease and added, “and that’s our alderman proper there.”
Seconds later, the first officer introduced over the radio that she had “a 32,” which is Markham police code for a firearm.
On speakerphone, Muhammad requested a lady in regards to the weapon.
“Do you bought your, do you bought your gun in that automobile?” he requested.
The lady replied, “In mine or yours?”
Muhammad then mentioned, “It’s gotta be your hid and carry. Ain’t mine. That’s hers.”
When a bystander approached as officers positioned Muhammad in custody, she recognized herself as Colby Chapman.
“I’m the second ward alderwoman. That’s my cousin. I’m not saying that as a utilization…”
The officer responded, “That’s kinda what it was feeling like.”
Contained in the Markham station, the arresting officer and Muhammad continued speaking in regards to the gun.
Muhammad mentioned of the lady he recognized because the proprietor, “She obtained too many weapons.”
The officer replied, “That’s how they get stolen…”
Muhammad responded, “Cuz you bought ‘em within the automobile.”
Muhammad added that the lady was “in Washington, DC, on some political stuff proper now. She’s [unintelligible] Village Supervisor of Maywood. And he or she’s with the Mayor of Maywood proper now.”
A supply accustomed to the matter instructed CWBChicago that the lady who owned the firearm present in Muhammad’s automobile is just not an elected official in Maywood. She recovered her gun from the Markham police station on November 18, in accordance with a report.
The officer instructed him, “I by no means need to be held up in court docket and any individual to say ‘Oh properly, you do for some, however you don’t do for others.’”
However costs have been by no means filed as a result of Genius ordered the matter dropped, in accordance with metropolis information.
In her arrest report, the officer wrote that, “Upon my arrival to Markham Police Division I obtained a cellphone name from Cpl. Duffin *559 advising me per Chief Genius *400 that I shouldn’t cost Tyrone with Illegal Possession of a Firearm and to contact RB’s Towing and have the car returned to the Markham Police Division, with no Zero Tolerance charges added.”
She issued solely a quotation for suspended registration, the report mentioned.
After Genius made his choice, the officer launched Muhammad from lock-up.
“Who’s your boss?” he requested.
“Chief Genius,” the officer replied.
In a cellphone interview final week, Muhammad mentioned he was not charged as a result of “it will be a waste of time” because the gun belongs to his spouse. Requested if he may think about any state of affairs wherein he ought to be charged for driving alone in a automobile registered in his title whereas a gun registered to another person is within the heart console, Muhammad replied no.
“You’ll be able to’t be charged with one thing, but when I obtained the gun on my particular person then sure I ought to be charged,” he mentioned.
He added, “Irrespective of what number of instances you inform these girls … take your gun in the home…”
Pressed to determine the alderwoman on the visitors cease, Muhammad mentioned solely, “Oh, now you’re fishing.”
Two regulation enforcement specialists who reviewed the supplies mentioned the beat officers dealt with the case accurately.
Alexander Dunn, president of the Illinois Council of Police, mentioned the movies present the officer “did all the pieces proper.” He mentioned, “It’s clear from the video the officer was skilled and did what politicians say law enforcement officials ought to concentrate on, getting weapons off the streets.”
Dunn continued, “Then, with out clarification, the topic is launched, and the gun promptly returned with no accountability. The general public deserves to understand how and why this occurred.” He added that elected officers “don’t have any cause to determine themselves to law enforcement officials if they don’t seem to be attempting to exert affect.”
Retired Riverside Police Chief Tom Weitzel reached the same conclusion.
He mentioned the circumstances strongly recommend “any individual referred to as the chief” on Muhammad’s behalf as a result of at 9:30 p.m. on a Wednesday, a suburban chief “can be at house or a village assembly,” not reviewing routine arrests.
Weitzel added that he was not shocked officers didn’t ask prosecutors for overview as a result of “the chief mentioned don’t cost him.”
The Markham paperwork grew stranger on the morning after the incident when the corporal who conveyed the order to not cost Muhammad filed a supplemental report stating that somebody, whose title was redacted, mentioned Muhammad would come to the Markham Police Division at 8 p.m. to be charged with unlawful firearm possession.
The report mentioned Muhammad’s Chrysler 300 had been returned to the town’s tow contractor’s lot “in accordance with Metropolis of Markham’s Zero Tolerance Coverage.”
However no firearm cost was ever filed.
One other supplemental report revealed that round 9:10 p.m. on October 9, roughly an hour after Muhammad was anticipated to give up, two SUVs drove onto the tow lot. 4 minutes later, Muhammad’s automobile left the lot with out registration plates because the SUVs adopted, the report mentioned. The arresting officer wrote {that a} tow firm worker mentioned he was instructed by his boss to “thoughts his enterprise” when he requested in regards to the automobile.
Muhammad instructed CWBChicago he paid for the car’s launch, however he didn’t reply to a request for a receipt or further particulars.
After a quick introductory cellphone name, a Markham metropolis spokesperson invited written questions in regards to the case, then didn’t reply them. Chapman, the Harvey alderwoman, didn’t reply to emails despatched to her metropolis and marketing campaign accounts on Friday night.
Muhammad didn’t reply to follow-up questions despatched to him in a non-public Instagram message.
However throughout an earlier cellphone interview, he mentioned he likes being within the information “good or dangerous” as a result of he wants to succeed in “4 million” ex-cons in Illinois for his senate marketing campaign.
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