A teenager was charged with first-degree murder and other counts Thursday after a Chicago police officer died from injuries suffered in a shootout, authorities said.
\nSteven Montano, 18, of Chicago, also was charged with two felony firearms charges and misdemeanor counts of assault and interfering with reporting domestic violence, the Chicago Police Department announced in a news release Thursday night.
\nMontano, who\u2019s in custody, is due in bond court Friday, the news release said.
\nIt wasn\u2019t clear whether Montano had an attorney who might comment on the allegations against him.
\nThe officer was shot several times Wednesday afternoon on the city\u2019s Southwest Side, CPD Superintendent David Brown said. He was identified Thursday morning as Officer Andres Vasquez-Lasso, 32, by the Cook County Medical Examiner\u2019s Office.
\nAn autopsy Thursday classified his death as a homicide because multiple gunshot wounds.
\nBrown said during a Wednesday news conference that the officer and the suspect exchanged shots \u201cat close range\u201d and the officer had wounded the suspect in the head.
\nMontano was hospitalized in critical condition as of Wednesday night. His condition was unavailable Thursday night.
\nThe Cook County State\u2019s Attorney\u2019s Office said earlier Thursday that Montano, who had no prior record, was given a personal recognizance bond after being charged on July 29, 2022, with misdemeanor resisting arrest for running from a vehicle that had been stopped by police. He completed 25 hours of community service, and the case against him was dismissed on Nov. 7.
\nMontano was a passenger in the vehicle in which the driver was charged with felony counts of illegal gun possession in a case that remains pending, the office said.
\nVasquez-Lasso had five years on the job, Brown said. \u201cHe had a bright future ahead of him,\u201d the superintendent said.
\nThe Chicago Police Department released a photo of Vasquez-Lasso on Thursday along with a statement saying that \u201che died while protecting Chicago and its people.\u201d
\n\u201cWe will never forget his selflessness and dedication as we continue to wrap our arms around his family and loved ones. Together, we mourn the loss of our hero,\u201d the statement adds.
\nVasqeuz-Lasso became the first Chicago officer to die in the line of duty since Officer Ella French, 29, was slain in August 2021 during a traffic stop shooting that also wounded her partner.
\nMayor Lori Lightfoot appeared with Brown at the news conference, saying that, \u201cTragedy has befallen the Chicago Police Department and, really, the city.\u201d
\nVasqeuz-Lasso was fatally shot the same day that Brown announced he will step down in two weeks, seven months before he turns 63, the mandatory retirement age for Chicago police officers.
\nBrown announced his pending departure one day after Lightfoot failed to advance to next month\u2019s mayoral runoff election after a primary election in which crime in the nation\u2019s third-largest city was a central issue.
\nAccording to statistics posted on the Chicago Police Department\u2019s website, the city saw an overall 41% increase in crime last year from 2021.<\/p>\n
Apnews<\/p>\n
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