A Chicago man has been charged in federal court in connection with Wednesday’s shooting of a Chicago police officer and two federal agents.
Eugene McLaurin, 28, of Chicago, is charged with one count of using a dangerous and deadly weapon to assault an ATF agent. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
McLaurin appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Heather McShain on Thursday afternoon, where a prosecutor said he had been taken into federal custody at 11:03 a.m. following his arrest Wednesday by Chicago police.
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Prosecutors told the judge they would seek to keep McLaurin detained in federal custody. McLaurin’s defense attorney waived a detention hearing for now, meaning McLaurin will stay in custody for the time being.
The shooting happened shortly before 6 a.m. as the officer and agents were getting onto the northbound lanes of Interstate 57 near 119th Street, about a mile form the Morgan Park police station.
The police officer was grazed in the back of the head, one ATF agent was shot in the hand, and another ATF agent suffered a wound to his side, police said. All were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center.
McLaurin admitted that he began following a vehicle in which the officer and agents were riding Wednesday because he thought it was driven by “opps,” or rival street gang members, according to a seven-page criminal complaint.
He said he opened fire with a Glock 9mm pistol and later dropped the weapon in a drain, according to the complaint.
This is a developing story.
