# CPD Press Conference 11.6.24

- Date: November 7, 2024
- Type: Video
- Length: 48:22
- Topic: Press conferences
- Video: [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDFtAKg1Q-M)
- Transcript: Machine transcription, 7,098 words ([text](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/transcripts/youtube/VDFtAKg1Q-M.txt))
- Mayor: [Brandon Johnson](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor)

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=0) Announcement of charges
- [8:03](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=483) Incident investigation details
- [11:17](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=677) Remarks from local leaders
- [15:24](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=924) Tribute to fallen officer
- [20:18](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1218) Press conference Q&A

## Transcript

[0:00](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=0) All right, good afternoon. I'm joined here today by Mayor Brandon Johnson, Deputy Mayor of Community Safety, Gary and Gatewood, Cook County State's Attorney, Kim Fox, ATF Chicago Field Division Special Agent in Charge, Chris Iman, and Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Aaron Wheeler, members of our Chicago Police Command Staff, and members of our investigative response team. On Monday night, our department and our city lost a hero

[0:34](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=34) when Officer Enrique Martinez was shot and killed protecting the city of Chicago. Today is the first step in bringing his killer to justice. 23-year-old Darian McMillan has been charged with one felony count of first-degree murder of a police officer, One felony count of first-degree murder, one felony count of attempt murder of a police officer, one felony count of residential burglary, one felony count of unlawful use of a weapon, machine gun, one felony aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by felony.

[1:16](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=76) by felon, I'm sorry. Immediately following the shooting, our detectives from the investigative response team began their investigation to secure charges against the offender who took the life of Officer Martinez. This offender is a convicted felon who was on electronic monitoring out of Will County. Needless to say, this individual should not have been on our streets with a fully automatic weapon.

[1:46](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=106) a weapon used to kill Officer Martinez, as well as another individual who was in the car with the offender. The responding officers who apprehended this offender amidst a chaotic scene did a great job in their response. Our detectives who gathered all evidence necessary to secure these charges. Our partners at the ATF Chicago Field Division, who worked to process the gun evidence.

[2:17](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=137) And our prosecutorial partners at the state's attorney's office, who we communicated with throughout this investigation. I'd like to thank all of them for the great work that they provided to bring these charges. Everyone had a role to play in making sure this offender would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. They did this in honor of Officer Martinez's sacrifice, and they did this to make sure no one else in our community would face the same heartbreak that Officer Martinez's family is right now.

[2:58](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=178) Officer Martinez was killed by the violence he worked to stop. i want that to resonate with everyone knowing the risks out in these streets officer martinez and all of our police officers run toward this danger to protect everyone in the city we all need to be outraged at the violent offenders who are creating endless cycles of trauma in our communities we need to be outraged at the proliferation of guns

[3:34](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=214) that are killing our residents, our children, and our first responders. Anger doesn't describe the feeling that I feel right now. When we think about the loss of this officer who was out trying to protect the city, I think of all of the losses that we've had over this time. Over this past few years, we've suffered the deaths through these violent experiences of Officer Luis Hueska, Officer Ariana Preston, Officer Vasquez Lasso, and Officer Ella French.

[4:23](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=263) They all fell to the violence in this city while trying to protect this city. And we should be outraged. As I said before, in a society where our officers are brazenly attacked, we have to make sure that we're securing locations where people move about communities without that type of fear. Our officers are important because they're an important part of keeping this city safe daily.

[5:00](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=300) Anger is just not enough. We have to channel that anger into energy that's going to keep our city safe by focusing on the violent crimes and the violent acts that are being committed throughout our city to focus on those repeat offenders who continue to offend and continue to terrorize our city and our communities. In his final moments, he protected our city.

[5:31](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=331) Above all else, it's our duty and our mission to carry on the work that Officer Martinez is providing the night that he lost his life. I want to thank everyone here in the city and across this country for the outpouring of condolences for the officer and his family. It was far-reaching. It meant a lot to the family. It continues to mean a lot to the family.

[6:02](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=362) And we have to make sure that we are standing with the family who lost an officer attempting to protect this city. The focus now is on the family. We have to make sure, one, that we're respecting the privacy of the family, especially while they grieve through these times. We have to make sure that the family understands the work that the officer was doing out there

[6:34](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=394) so that the family understands that their family member's life was not taken in vain. The Chicago Police Department, we're going to continue to work through this. We're going to continue to work with the family and work with our communities. Stand up. Had a meeting with our officers yesterday. They all wanted to be at work. And they wanted to be at work, not just for Officer Martinez, but they knew that he was out there protecting the communities and the people of these communities.

[7:05](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=425) And they wanted to be out there to continue that. They understand how much they're needed here. They understand how much these communities need them. and they're going to be there to make sure that we keep those most vulnerable people safe, that we keep our children safe from these types of violent attacks by those people who should not be walking our streets right now. So please, again, keep the family in your thoughts and prayers because they're struggling right now at the loss of a 26-year-old individual

[7:40](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=460) who chose a life of service and had just a little under three years on the job. He was energetic, he was focused, and he wanted to make sure that he went out and did a good day's work to keep this city safe. With that, I'm going to turn it over to the Chief of Detectives, Antoinette, our city. Good afternoon.

[8:10](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=490) I want to reiterate, Superintendent, in expressing our deepest condolences to Officer Martinez's family and loved ones. The investigation revealed that Officer Martinez and his partner were conducting a traffic stop on a vehicle blocking traffic in the 8,000 block of South Ingleside at approximately 8 p.m. The vehicle was occupied by three individuals, including the offender now charged.

[8:43](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=523) Additional officers responded to assist with the stop. After approaching the vehicle, Officer Martinez and his partner were speaking with the driver of the vehicle. After noticing McMillan in the front passenger seat reaching for a bag on the floor of the vehicle, Officer Martinez and his partner gave verbal direction for McMillan to stop reaching. At this point, McMillan produced a fully automatic handgun equipped with a machine gun conversion device

[9:15](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=555) and an extended magazine and fired in the direction of Officer Martinez, fatally striking him. The driver of the vehicle was also fatally struck multiple times by McMillan's gunfire. The weapon was recovered inside the vehicle. McMillan pushed the driver out of the vehicle and jumped into the driver's seat. As another officer attempted to pull McMillan out of the driver's seat, McMillan put the vehicle in reverse, dragging the officer.

[9:47](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=587) While being dragged, the officer's firearm discharged one time into the ground. The vehicle crashed into a parked car. Coming to a stop a short distance later, McMillan fled the vehicle and entered a first-floor apartment with a woman inside. McMillan found a knife he used to cut off his electronic monitoring bracelet and then fled the scene. The woman was not harmed. Officers eventually located McMillan in the 8,000 block of South Maryland,

[10:21](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=621) where he was taken into custody and positively identified. Detectives continued the investigation, securing charges today. While this does not erase the grief of Officer Martinez's family, we hope it brings a small measure of comfort knowing the person responsible for his murder will face justice. I want to thank the responding officers and detectives from the investigative response team who made sure this offender was taken into custody

[10:53](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=653) and would not be able to hurt anyone else. We are also immensely grateful for our partners at the ATF Chicago Field Division who responded to the scene that night and assisted in this investigation. Throughout this investigation, we worked closely with the Cook County State's Attorney Office to secure these charges, and I want to thank them for helping us bring charges in this case. I'd now like to turn it over to Mayor Brandon Johnson.

[11:27](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=687) I am not Mayor Brandon Johnson. Thank you, Chief. Thank you, Superintendent Snelling, to Mayor Johnson, to the law enforcement partners that join with us here today. Today, once again, our community is mourning, and our Chicago Police Department is also mourning. Today, once again, we gather in the wake of a devastating travesty

[11:58](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=718) Let me say, I was just here less than a week ago standing at this very podium alongside these same officers and detectives and the superintendent talking about other officers who had been fired upon and thankfully were able to survive their shift that evening with their lives. A mere six days later, we stand once again, shoulder to shoulder, talking about the horrific violence that continues to plague not just our city, but the men and women who wear a uniform and run to the danger.

[12:35](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=755) To the family of Officer Martinez, a young man who chose a profession that was wrought with danger. A young man who I imagine in telling his family that he has chosen a life in law enforcement in a city like Chicago with the issues of guns and violence, that they stayed awake at night worrying about him. to ultimately get the call that he would not make it home in service to the people of the city of Chicago

[13:09](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=789) is any family's worst nightmare. I want to once again send my condolences to his family as they grieve during this time, to the officer who bore witness to his partner, lose his life and almost lose his own, and the devastating trauma that he will have to endure for years to come. To those who have been impacted and affected and show up today anyway, on behalf of the Cook County State's Attorney's Office and the people of Cook County, we thank you.

[13:42](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=822) We thank you for your service. As the superintendent said, we have filed multiple charges in this case, including first-degree murder of a police officer, the first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder of a police officer, residential burglary, and possession of a machine gun. This defendant will appear in first appearance court tomorrow at the Layton County Courthouse, which starts at 1130 a.m. During that court proceeding, a full recitation of facts, also known as a proffer, will be made available to all of you at that time.

[14:21](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=861) As I started these remarks, I would like to end them the same. We must never forget the profound sacrifices made by our police officers who put their lives on the line every single day to protect our communities. We owe them an immeasurable debt of gratitude, quite honestly, one which we will never be able to pay. And it is our solemn duty to pursue justice for those who have fallen in service. the Cook County State's Attorney's Office

[14:52](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=892) thanks the Chicago Police Department The IRT, the ATF, for their partnership over the course of the last 48 hours to allow us to be in the position that we are in today to have these charges approved, to begin the step of accountability, and we at the State's Attorney's Office will not rest until this defendant is held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. With that, I will turn it over to Mayor Brandon Johnson.

[15:25](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=925) Thank you, Madam State's Attorney, and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you to our superintendent, Superintendent Snelling, as well as to our chief of detectives, Chief Versetti, and to the entire police department. The city of Chicago continues to grieve and mourn for the loss, the tragic loss of our dear officer, our dear officer Enrique Martinez. Our thoughts and our prayers will remain, not just for today, but throughout for his family, for his colleagues that served alongside of him, and for the entire police department.

[16:12](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=972) The work that is done every single day to make our city a safer place is done by incredibly brave and courageous individuals. I do want to especially acknowledge the responding officers who were on the scene that day. Those officers witnessed the unspeakable tragedy and the loss of their own, Officer Enrique Martinez, and emmed very real danger.

[16:47](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1007) They acted quickly to take action, responding to a violent offender. Officer Enrique Martinez saved lives, even though he knew it could cost him his own. This exemplifies what our police officers do every single day. They know the sacrifices as well as the risks of their profession, but yet still, they work every day to protect us.

[17:19](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1039) Our entire city recognizes the extraordinary courage of the women and men of the Chicago Police Force. They have our deepest respect and our unending gratitude for protecting our city. Of course, especially in the wake of heartbreaking loss, the fact that they continue to show up every single day is a testament to their love for this city. And while today's charges won't bring back Officer Enrique Martinez,

[17:51](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1071) It's our hope that these charges will bring a sense of justice, justice for the family and all that knew and loved Officer Enrique Martinez. We do grieve the loss of a brave public servant, a good-hearted young man, and a Chicagoan. As a city, let's continue, please, to pray for the family of Officer Enrique Martinez. We pray that they find peace along their healing journey,

[18:24](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1104) and we pray that the memory of Officer Martinez will be a comforting blessing. We also pray for the police officers who mourn this loss, and we pray for their safety and protection. I know the city of Chicago is reeling from this senseless act of violence. I'm here to tell you that we really have had enough of these acts of violence, particularly committed with guns. So we're going to continue to do everything in our power to end violence,

[18:55](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1135) and we need to do that together. The road ahead is certainly not a short one. It is a long journey. But I want us to remember that each and every one of us, we have the power to make a difference. Each and every one of us has the power to make our community safer. We have to support one another, look out for one another, and stand up for our communities together. I've been heartened to see an outpouring of support for the Chicago Police Department this week and beyond,

[19:25](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1165) and it gives me hope that the people of this city share our vision for a better, stronger, safer city. And once again, I do want to commend and thank the Chicago Police Department. These charges today certainly are a testament to why our detective division has to continue to be supported. We will bring justice for the Martinez family, the Chicago Police Department, and the city of Chicago as a whole. Let us continue to hold up Officer Enrique Martinez and his family. Hold. him and his family in our hearts.

[19:57](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1197) And let us remember that Officer Martinez served with gratitude and courage and love. We thank him for his service. May we continue to honor his memory by committing to build a better, stronger, safer Chicago together. With that, I will turn it back over to our police superintendent for questions. Thank you, Mayor. With that, we'll take any questions. Buenas tardes. Jorge de Santiago with Telemundo Chicago.

[20:27](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1227) How are you? Senor, you mentioned Officer Huesca, Officer Preston, Officer Lazo, Officer French. You mentioned that we should be outraged. But what actions are missing to try and stop the violence? What's missing here? What part of that puzzle is being missed? What can the community do? And what can the legal system do to try to stop this? Well, that's a great question. And we've talked about this all along. The police can't do this all alone.

[20:58](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1258) We need the community to step up. We need everybody to start stepping up. We need people to start looking at accountability for those who are committing these acts and repeatedly committing acts. We're losing children in the street. We're losing our police officers. At some point, everybody has got to step up and say that this is enough. So we need community to step up, and we need to work in lockstep with community, and we need them to work with us. This divide between the police and the community cannot continue.

[21:32](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1292) We have to trust each other and have these communications so that we can get to the bottom of this type of violent crime. There are some people that no matter what we do, they're going to commit these violent acts. We need to take definite action and get those people off the street and keep them off the street. But then we have to reach out to our very young, our very young children to make sure that they don't take on this lifestyle and they end up going down the same road. So until we start working together and we come together as a whole and just demand that we get to the bottom of this type of crime and start holding people accountable for those actions and then start providing resources for the children who are witnessing this and being traumatized by this type of violence,

[22:22](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1342) When we remove those people who are doing harm from our communities, we're in a better place because they are not setting the example for those kids who are coming behind them. So we all need to be a part of that. Superintendent, if I could. Thank you for that question. And, again, one of the things that I do want to point out is that there is a collective table to the superintendent's point of us coming together, the state's attorney, county government, city government, working with our state partners, with our local law enforcement as well.

[22:54](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1374) During a previous time, that coordination wasn't taking place. The superintendent is absolutely right. As we've said repeatedly, this is not just a policing dynamic alone. We continue to rely too heavily on policing, not just in the city of Chicago, but our country. And that's why we're working to increase our detective division, which we're doing, and Chief Resetti is doing an outstanding job. But we're also making sure they're providing mental health support services around the city so that when the 911 calls that come through that are mental health crises,

[23:29](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1409) that we have behavioral health crises workers showing up. That allows our police officers to show up to some of the other critical dynamics that we're dealing with. But make no mistake about it, this is going to require the support and work of all of us, And that is the call. That is the clearing call to action. That the individuals who are committing violence in the city, they belong to families. There are people who are aware of their activities and their actions. But just as important, there are families who want a way out. And so as the superintendent has articulated very well, and as we continue to build opportunities

[24:00](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1440) within these communities, that is the component that has been missing. Those components have been added. It is going to take us time. No one is going to, on this stage, is going to argue that this road and this route is long. We didn't get here overnight, but the transformation that we need in the city of Chicago requires urgency, and it has to come from everyone. Thank you. Please. I have very few of these press conferences left. Let me say the thing that needs to be said that we all know in this room. We have an overproliferation of guns in the city of Chicago and the county of Cook.

[24:33](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1473) We have a gun problem, and we have had a gun problem for a really long time. So when the question is, when we have an overproliferation of guns and we have people committing offenses that may not otherwise be violent, but they have a gun attached to them, the likelihood of a deadly outcome increases. And so when we talk about what can we do, it is we support our law enforcement who go out there knowing that every encounter has the possibility of someone on the other side of that having a gun.

[25:04](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1504) Almost every encounter has the possibility of someone on the other side of it having a gun. And we know this. We talk about it. We've talked about it for years. We've talked about it for years. And I do want to commend Superintendent Snelling and the mayor and the city for finding ways for us to come together to respond to violence, but we have to prevent violence. And one of the ways that we prevent it, as the superintendent said, is investment in our young people and the supports that we need to provide around them. But there is a very unique problem that we have in Cook County, and that is a unique problem about the overproliferation of guns.

[25:41](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1541) And until we take decisive action on ensuring that those guns are not flooding our streets, that we're talking about a machine gun here, then we will continue to see the devastation that we see at the race that we see it, because we have more guns on our street than I believe that we have people who need to hold them. And until we do something about that, we will continue to have press conferences like these, which are heartbreaking and tragic, and they will continue because our law enforcement partners will continue to run into the face

[26:13](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1573) of bullets. But we have to stop the bullets in the first place, which means that we need reasonable, common sense gun legislation nationally with an impact here in Cook County. Tia Ewing, Fox 32, Chicago. So you mentioned, I'm doing well, how are you? You mentioned that Darian McMillan is charged. The other suspect that was in the vehicle was shot and killed. What happened to the third person, and why isn't that person charged? I'll turn that over to the chair. Our detectives, as they

[26:50](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1610) continued the investigation, determined that the third person in the vehicle was not involved in the murder of our officer. That's it? Yeah, I do have a couple of questions. The officer who was dragged, I don't know if this is for Commander Arcetti or not, but But what can you tell us about his or her status? And I hadn't heard about that injury, whether they were injured.

[27:24](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1644) Well, the officer is injured. No life-threatening injuries, thank goodness. And these are also the risks when people are trying to escape. They don't care who they hurt or injure while they're doing that. So the officer is doing well right now, as well as can be, because when you are a witness to this type of incident, where these officers witnessed their partner murdered right before their eyes. They're struggling in other ways.

[27:54](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1674) So it's not just physical, but they're dealing with a lot of mental trauma. I've spoken to all of them and visited them in the hospital. But they're doing, under the circumstances, they're doing as well as they can. Thank you for that question. Christine with WGN. So you guys also mentioned how a lot of these officers still decided to show up to work. They're still here. They still want to do their job. Can you share a little bit about how did you keep the morale up? How did you go about just kind of making sure they're okay as well? Well, number one is communication.

[28:25](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1705) Communication is the key. We have to talk to these officers. You know, one of the things that I don't think is spoken about enough is that those officers who are boots on the ground, those are the officers who are keeping the city safe. Those are the officers who are at the highest risk of being harmed or losing their lives, and they're out there every single day doing it. And in doing that, they've built a level of resilience. And then the camaraderie amongst the officers, when they see a struggle of members of communities

[28:58](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1738) that they have partnered with, that they've gotten to know, that they've worked with, they show up to work every day for those community members. They show up every single day for their partners. And one of the things that in this line of work that special people do, and when I say special people, I'm talking about these police officers because it takes a special human being to do this kind of work and continue to do the same thing over and over. They want to show up to show that level of resilience, that level of courage,

[29:30](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1770) and that they're not going to run away. They're not going to tuck their tails and run away from the harm that's happening out here to people because they know they're needed and they know that people are counting on them every single day to keep them safe. So it's that type of drive. They drive each other. And our leadership team here. I just can't say enough about them reaching out to the officers, having a conversation with the officers. Commander Mike Tate put some things together for the officers of the 6th District where he worked.

[30:03](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1803) And we're going to continue to do that. We're going to continue to make sure that our officers are well. Because well-trained, well-prepared officers who are out in the field are going to serve our communities well. You know, to the superintendent's point, look, it's a very modest response from him, but it's a very honest and direct one. This is about leadership and supervision. quite frankly. And so to the superintendent's credit, he continues to demonstrate his leadership across the board. But, you know, there are commanders and there are sergeants,

[30:34](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1834) and many of whom have been trained under Superintendent Snelling. The last point that I'll make, it's not just about supervision. You got to keep in mind that our officers see trauma every single day. Look, this is brutal. This is heartbreaking. And to the command staff and to the leadership of this department, when police officers go out and they see the lives that are lost of children, that is traumatic. And as traumatic and as devastating as it is to lose a fellow colleague, an officer, our police officers show up every single day to work

[31:08](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1868) during very extreme circumstances. So it's a reflection of the leadership, but it's also a reflection of the values of Chicagoans. And that's why it's going to take all of us to continue to build safer communities because police officers alone should not be held responsible for every single traumatic event that happens in this city. Hi, Melody Mercado with Block Club Chicago. You all mentioned that McMillan was on electronic monitoring. Can you share what that was for?

[31:39](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1899) And in addition, can you please spell his first and last name? McMillan, when he was taken into custody, was on release as a condition of a prior arrest where he attempted to defraud a drug and alcohol screening test. So that was the reason that he was on electronic monitoring. If it works for you, we'll just give it here,

[32:10](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1930) and then it will also be on the press release that comes out of News Affairs that will be in your box. Darion, D-A-R-I-O-N. McMillan, M-C, capital M-I-L-L-I-A-N. Afternoon. Sam from the Tribune. How are you, Sam? I'm well, Superintendent. Thank you. You are Chief or City. Shortly before the shooting Monday night, there was another 911 call about two blocks away where a woman said that she had shot someone who was breaking into her vehicle.

[32:44](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1964) Was that 911 call in any way related to the shooting itself a few minutes later? At this point, no. We get multiple calls throughout the night. Our officers respond, and they'll determine if there's some validity to that. But this was separate from that. Now, our officers are working in those areas when they hear those calls just to make sure that they're keeping those communities safe when those types of calls come out. Good afternoon. I'm Manuel Camarillo with the Chicago Sun-Times.

[33:15](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=1995) You mentioned that the machine gun that was recovered had a device attached to it. I'm wondering if that's what's commonly known as a switch and if you could talk about the proliferation about those devices as well. Well, that's exactly what it is. And I'm sure you've seen the video that's going around, and you can hear it in seconds, multiple rounds fired in one second, that puts everybody at a disadvantage. It puts our officers at a disadvantage.

[33:47](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2027) In a situation like that, when an officer walks up, an officer oftentimes has to make split-second decisions on things. And in this particular instance, our officers were doing every single thing that they could to stop this from escalating into something else. and as a result of the weapon that this individual had, our officers were outgunned. Our officers did an excellent job of approaching this vehicle. And the mere fact that there were two guns recovered, and you see the background of the shooter,

[34:24](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2064) it tells you that our officers are focused on stopping those people who are committing these types of violent acts. upon our community. So when we look at switches, and you're 100% right, they're converting these handguns into handheld machine guns. And the possibility of... Killing a person becomes greater. The possibility of shooting more people at once becomes much higher.

[34:59](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2099) And we see it at large gatherings where someone pulls up or displays a handgun that has been converted to fully automatic and pulls the trigger and multiple people are shot. We have got to get a handle on that. And those people who are carrying those types of weapons, they're not carrying those types of weapons because it's a collector's item. They're doing it for one reason, to shoot as many people as they possibly can at once,

[35:32](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2132) or to riddle a human being with bullets until that person's life has expired. it. Let's make no mistake about why someone wants to convert a handgun with an extended magazine or a drum to a fully automatic weapon. They want to create as much carnage, human carnage as they possibly can. And anybody who thinks anything differently is that they're sadly mistaken. We're out here as the police. We see it all the time and we know what those

[36:05](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2165) weapons are being converted for. Hi, good afternoon. Shardé Gray with CBS. How are to get off topic and want to go to Navy Pier and just want to get a little bit more details about that. The two victims that were shot, do we know if that the intended target was an employee, if that was an unintended target, and if it was the second person, if that was the boss? For motive, I'm not sure. We'll have the chief of detectives come up and talk about that a little

[36:38](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2198) bit because we don't want to get in the mindset of that person. I think we're going to answer. Thank you. Right now it's very early on in the investigation, so our detectives are continuing to look into, and especially they've done great work already in trying to take this individual into custody, but we are going to have to take this person into custody and continue that investigation to provide additional details. Thanks. Charlie Wojciechowski from Channel 5. How you doing, Wojciech?

[37:08](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2228) You're very good, Superintendent. How are you? Good, good, thank you. I've got to ask, we've just had an election. We've just had a new president who has been very strong on Second Amendment rights. We have a Senate that has now turned Republican and quite possibly the House will as well. Does that make your job harder when it comes to what Madam State's Attorney called a proliferation, over-proliferation of guns on the streets of Chicago? Well, listen, the State's Attorney Fox is 100 percent right.

[37:41](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2261) The number of guns that we gather every year, in excess of 12,000, the number of gun arrests that we make on a regular is just outrageous. And if you think about it, if we make 5,000, 6,000 gun arrests, that's 5,000 to 6,000 possible deadly encounters that police officers have. And the number of police-involved shootings are very tiny.

[38:11](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2291) compared to the number of encounters they have with people with guns. The job of being a police officer is ridiculously hard. The job of being a superintendent of the Chicago Police Department when it comes to things that you're talking about, legislation around guns, it's also ridiculously hard. What we need to do is take a focus. This has nothing to do with just the Second Amendment. And the reason I say that is because, let's go back and talk about this again.

[38:41](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2321) People have the right to bear arms, but we're talking about law-abiding citizens who want to protect themselves. When we're looking at individuals who are getting guns, they're converting them to fully automatic handheld guns, they're driving around in vehicles, people are being robbed, people are being shot, they're drive-by shootings. We have to focus on that. It's not about the Second Amendment at this point. It's about saving lives.

[39:12](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2352) It's about stopping those people who are out there actively taking lives, robbing people, attacking people no matter who, and shooting children, killing officers. We need to hold them accountable. These are not law-abiding citizens. So this can't be a one-size-fits-all. There has to be a focus on those who are violating the Constitution, those people who are breaking laws.

[39:43](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2383) When it comes to the use of weapons and then the flooding of weapons into communities, we have to be able to stop that. So is it hard? Yes, it's hard to stand here and talk to you about an individual who was out there with a device. And our officers had no chance as they approached this vehicle. And this this happens all the time. we have to put an end to this.

[40:14](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2414) We have to have laws in place to hold people accountable for these types of weapons. We have to have laws in place to hold people seriously accountable for flooding weapons into communities where we know that they're going to be used for these types of crimes. We've got to be serious about this gun violence that's going on in the city right now. This is the only way we're going to protect the lives of our citizens, protect the lives of our officers. and bring down the violence and the shooting and the killing.

[40:44](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2444) It's hard to say that officers are responsible for saving lives on a daily basis when we know that there are weapons out there that, quite honestly, officers are at a disadvantage of. So we've got to do a much better job as a whole, collaboratively. What we see standing here right now is collaboration, And we've been doing this all year, working with the state's attorney to get charges approved on those people who have committed violent acts, robberies, murders.

[41:17](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2477) And we've stood here before. I've talked to the mayor about everybody in the city being a part of the solution and not just the police. Everybody has to do a part. The police department is 24-7. We never close. We never shut down. We're always there to show up. We need everybody to do the same. Working with the ATF, you know, our SAC, Chris Amon, and our CIGIC Center cannot say enough about the work that's being done there.

[41:51](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2511) We need to continue working there. That could be an example for how we deal with guns and how we collect evidence on guns and how we prosecute people to make sure that they're held accountable for the acts that they commit. Our detective division, our IRT team, Lieutenant Pat Kenney, he does not get enough credit for his leadership and the work that they do following up to make sure that we are collecting evidence the right way.

[42:26](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2546) Can't say enough about the detectives that he's working with, that he's leading, that they're dedicated to making sure that they collect all evidence so that we can prosecute things properly. because we have to present the best possible case to the state's attorney's office to ensure that we secure charges for these things. So when it comes to these guns, we have got to get a handle on this. Criminals should not be in possession of these guns, and when they are and when they're shooting people and robbing and killing

[42:57](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2577) and destroying our communities, they need to be held accountable. It's that simple. And when we look at all of the officers, these young, young, vibrant officers who took this job to help people, to save lives, and their lives were taken as a result of that, we need to really take a good, long look at what's happening in our society and stop thinking about just the Second Amendment. We need to look at criminal activity around these guns. Final question.

[43:28](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2608) Eric Hong with ABC7. Condolences to the department. Thank you, Eric. You mentioned the offense that he was on, electronic monitoring for. Can you tell us anything more about his background, whether there are violent crimes, weapons charges, offenses in his background? And also, can you just give us a little more detail on how he was ultimately apprehended in the 8,000 block of South Maryland and what went into that effort, how he was located?

[43:58](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2638) Just a reminder of what our state's attorney said a little earlier. There will be a full resuscitation of facts there, so there's no further information we can give about his prior criminal history. And in terms of how he was taken into custody so quickly, I think this is, again, exactly what our superintendent and everyone up here is telling you about how brave our officers are and after what they had to see and to respond so quickly that within less than 10 minutes of committing two murders,

[44:29](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2669) They were able to take him into custody. He fled into an apartment, as I had mentioned earlier. Thankfully, the woman inside was not harmed, but our officers were quick. They were responsive and without delay. they were able to take him into custody when he fled just a short distance away to Maryland where he was taken into custody. I'm sure that's all of the questions, right? So I just want to close by thanking everybody.

[45:00](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2700) Again, thanking everyone for the outpouring of condolences for Officer Enrique Martinez and his family. our brave officers who are on the scene with him, his partners who are struggling right now, but we know that they're resilient. We're going to stand with those officers and as we move forward, I just want to ensure to everyone in this room right now that

[45:30](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2730) we as the Chicago Police Department and myself as the superintendent I have a responsibility, a great responsibility to educate everyone on what a police officer deals with on a regular basis, how police officers are responding to things out there so that the narrative isn't just around what a police officer is not doing, but what police officers are doing, what they're doing in communities, the work that's being done. We need to

[46:02](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2762) have a higher focus on some of the great things that our officers are doing out there because it really outweighs anything out there that's negative. Now, that's not the narrative that's out there. But on a daily basis, not only are our officers doing heroic things, but our officers are interacting and engaging with our community members, working with children, helping the elderly. And we're going to continue to move in that direction because that's how these

[46:38](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2798) officers are built. Human beings who are out there doing human things, but at the same time risking their lives while doing it. So to the Martinez family, I just want to say we love you and we're going to stick here by you no matter what. We're going to make sure you have an extended family in the Chicago Police Department. And to all of the officers who were on scene who responded who are now dealing with that trauma we're going to stand with you and make sure that you have what you need to recover

[47:09](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2829) from this. So I just want to thank everybody standing here. Thank Mayor Johnson for coming here and making sure that he's in tune with what's going on. I want to thank State's Attorney Fox for just always when these things happen, just the communication is incredible and ensuring that we secure charges on issues like this. So that communication has just been magnificent throughout. And for all of the command staff standing here, their leadership,

[47:43](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2863) I really have to thank them for their leadership throughout this. The way that they're responding and dealing with our officers out there has been very amazing. And the detective division, again, can't say enough about the work that these individuals do because they have to work through all of the video and view these things over and over and over again. So I know they're also dealing with a level of trauma, but their resilience allows them to go through that evidence and make sure that they put together the best possible case that they can for the state's attorney's office.

[48:18](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M?t=2898) So thank you all for coming here, and I appreciate you. Thank you.

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Source: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/VDFtAKg1Q-M · Chicago Politics, an independent tracker of the Chicago City Council. Guide for agents: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/llms.txt