Page 48 - January 2020 FOP Magazine

Gun recovery work nets CPMF award for 10th District team
n BY DAN CAMPANA
The year-long effort to take guns off the streets of Chicago resulted in more than 10,000 illegal firearms being seized, but perhaps no recovery stood out more than an August search that turned up 60 in one location.
The work of the 10th District Tactical Team during that Au- gust warrant service on the city’s West Side earned Sergeant Juan Perez, Lieutenant Jeff Schaaf and Officers Jaime Acosta, Jose Carrera, Jesus Garcia, Anthony Fosco, Miguel Amesquita, Richard Waszak, Jacob Garza, Michael Carreon, Adam Bourdo- sis and Kenneth Moranz the Chicago Police Memorial Founda- tion’s Officer of the Month award for December.
It all started on Aug. 15, when the team obtained a search warrant for a residence near Cullerton and Pulaski after learn- ing about the presence of guns and drugs at the home. The team set up surveillance and observed the target arrive around 9 p.m. Officers forced entry a short time later and took the man into custody.
While clearing the remainder of the residence, officers ob- served a second person who attempted to flee by running through a kitchen and then up a stairwell. The second man stopped and, upon commands from the officers, lay down on the floor. Officers who went to secure the man immediately no- ticed two loaded AK-47 assault rifles leaning against the wall, within reach of where the man was positioned.
What followed was a systematic search of the residence that, over the course of several hours, turned up approximately 60
weapons, includ-
ing multiple AK-47s,
several Tec-9 auto-
matic pistols, numer-
ous semi-automatic
handguns, revolvers,
shotguns and rifles.
Officers also found
a large cache of am-
munition, extended
magazines, drum-style magazines, banana clips and two bul- letproof ballistic vests.
The two suspects — a father and son — were later found to be convicted felons with criminal histories in federal and state courts. They are awaiting trial in the August weapons seizure case.
“These are a group of officers who work together to take pow- erful illegal weapons off the streets in one of Chicago’s most vi- olent areas. Together, this team has taken 168 weapons off the street so far this year. They do this on a regular basis, not seek- ing any glory, just because they know the inherent danger these illegal weapons are on the streets of our city,” said CPMF Exec- utive Director Phil Cline. “Each encounter can be deadly, but they continue to do it day in and out because that is what these good police officers do, they work to make our streets safer. It’s why we’re proud to recognize the entire 1064 team, and to make them our December officers of the month.”
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48 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JANUARY 2020
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