Page 28 - May2021

Chicago Lodge 7 Officer Awards
Detective Matthew Rickher, Star #20201 Detective Donnel Crenshaw, Star #20504 Detective Dennis Clifford, Star #20351 Detective Patrick McGinnis, Star #21349 Detective Marc Delfavero, Star #20063 Detective Matthew Vaci, Star #20118
Detective Julie Blair, Star #20223
Detective Robert Heskin, Star #20669
Detective Dan McNally, Star #21135
Police Officer Mark Mendez, Star #16044
Police Officer James Foy, Star #15007
Police Officer Edward O’Ryan, Star #15778
Police Officer Bret Westcott, Star #12745
Police Forensic Investigator Herbert M. Keeler, Star #3729 Evidence Tech Gerald Daly, Star #18890 Evidence Tech Kenneth Pratscher, Star #13363 Evidence Tech Joseph F. Keating, Star #9746 Evidence Tech Daniel Vasquez, Star #19492 Sergeant Keith Blair, Star #1741
Sergeant Patrick Kinney, Star #2044
Sergeant Doreen Velasquez, Star #1114
On Dec. 3, 2020, while exiting a local business at 117th and Western Avenue that he frequented, retired Chicago Fire Department Lieutenant Dwain Williams was approached by four armed offenders who demanded his Jeep. Lieutenant Williams, a concealed carry holder, bravely unholstered and fired his handgun in self-defense at the group of would-be carjackers. A gunfight ensued, and Williams was fatally struck in the abdomen. His murderers fled the scene in a previously stolen automobile.
The men and women of the CPD sprang into action. This investigation was a collaborative effort involving the Area 2 Detective Division Unit 620, Unit 180 ATC (Area Technology Center), Forensics Unit 277 and Firearms Unit 177 and Unit 606. The surrounding south suburban departments also be- came involved, as the murderers frequented and lived in the suburbs.
The detectives and ATC acquired video from security cam- eras capturing the initial incident, private surveillance vid- eos, traffic plate reader camera images and OEMC video. The plate reader proved invaluable, and the investigators were able to track the offenders’ vehicle traveling throughout the South Side and into the south suburbs. This led to the recov- ery of more video depicting the offenders’ insatiable appetite for committing felonies and their true lust for evil. The foren- sics division was able to lift usable prints from a recovered
stolen auto, implicating two of the four offenders. The fire- arms division of forensics was able to link the spent shell cas- ings recovered at the scene of the murder to handguns that were later recovered.
The detectives and collaborative units executed more than 20 search warrants in this investigation. One such warrant was for a cell phone recovered from a stolen vehicle. Between tips from the public and family members, a juvenile suspect was questioned (with his mother present, of course). During this questioning, the juvenile suspect was positively identi- fied by his own mother from the video that was released to the public seeking help in identification of the offenders. Faced with the insurmountable evidence of his cell phone being recovered in a stolen vehicle, his fingerprints inside the stolen vehicle and an angry mother, the juvenile offender implicated his codefendants and gave a full and detailed con- fession. All three co-offenders were taken into custody, one being extradited all the way from Pennsylvania, and charged with murder and attempted armed robbery.
Due to the extensive investigation, canvassing, interviews and countless man-hours combing through video and tips from the public, the combined efforts led to a great pinch.
On behalf of Chicago FOP Lodge 7, a heartfelt thank-you for apprehending and charging the murderers of a man who gave 25 years of his life to serving this once-great city.
28 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ MAY 2021
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