Posts Tagged suspect charged in murder of retired Chicago FD Lieutenant Dwain Williams

Chicago Fire Department news (more)

Excerpts from nbc5chicago.com:

Separate juries on Wednesday found Devin Barron and Jaylen Saulsberry guilty of first-degree murder in the shooting of retired Chicago FD Lieutenant Dwain Williams, who Cook County prosecutors said was confronted at gunpoint by a carjacking crew in December 2020 as he left a gourmet popcorn shop.

The jury in Barron’s trial returned their verdict about five hours after deliberations began and immediately after the jury in Saulsberry’s trial retired to begin their own discussions. It took less than two hours for the second panel to reach its decision.

When their trials began last week, there were three defendants and three separate juries.

But in a surprise on Tuesday, the third co-defendant, Dwain Johnson, took the stand to testify against Barron and Saulsberry after Johnson accepted a plea offer from the state’s attorney’s office mid-trial that saw his murder charge reduced.

Johnson, 20, pleaded guilty to a count of aggravated battery with a firearm, according to court records. Prosecutors said they would seek the maximum 30-year sentence against him.

A fourth defendant, a teenage boy who was 15 at the time of Williams’ death, had his case adjudicated in juvenile court and also testified against Barron and Saulsberry. Prosecutors said he was back in school and had stayed out of trouble.

All four were part of a carjacking crew that targeted Williams’ Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV after they spotted it while driving.

With the 15-year-old behind the wheel of a stolen Ford Fusion sedan, the crew trailed Williams until he parked outside a store and then waited for him to return.

Barron and Saulsberry got out of the stolen Ford with guns drawn and confronted Williams as he returned to his Jeep.

Williams, a concealed-carry holder, drew his own gun and exchanged fire with the crew before they fled. Williams was shot in the abdomen and died a short time later.

Investigators were able to track the group using cellphone data and surveillance footage.

DNA evidence implicating Saulsberry was recovered from a shoe that one of the gunmen left behind as he fled, and a fingerprint on a granola bar found in the back seat of the Ford when it was recovered in Tinley Park matched Barron’s, prosecutors said.

Attorneys for both defendants spent much of their closing arguments Wednesday assailing the integrity and reliability of testimony by the teenager and Johnson.

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Chicago Fire Department news (more)

Excerpts from fox32chicago.com:

A criminal trial got underway Monday for three men accused of shooting and killing a longtime Chicago firefighter during a bungled carjacking, and one of the members of the alleged carjacking ring is now testifying against the others.

The family of retired Firefighter Dwain Williams walked solemnly through the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on the first day of his alleged killers’ trial. The 65-year-old Williams was a retired Lieutenant with the Chicago Fire Department who was just about to go back to the work for the city of Chicago at the Office of Emergency Management.

Now, standing trial for his murder are Devin Barron, Dwain Johnson, and Jaleyn Saulsberry — each charged with first-degree homicide.

The star witness for prosecutors is 18-year-old David Williams, who was part of that carjacking crew. Williams was just 15 at the time and was charged as a juvenile. He agreed to testify against the others after serving six months in a juvenile detention center.

Williams told jurors that he and the defendants committed multiple carjackings together, and targeted Lt. Williams when they saw his car at a gas station a couple blocks away.

The late firefighter’s family became emotional when prosecutors played the surveillance video of his shooting, some hurrying out of the courtroom in tears.

The courtroom is filled to capacity because there are three separate juries, one for each defendant. The trial is expected to continue until at least the middle of next week.

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Chicago Fire Department news (more)

Excerpts from nbc5chicago.com:

A fourth person has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of retired Chicago Fire Department Lieutenant Dwain Williams during an attempted carjacking on Dec. 3rd . The veteran firefighter sustained a gunshot wound and was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Jaylen Saulsberry, 19, of Chicago Heights, was charged with one count of first-degree murder and on three warrants.  He was placed into custody at approximately 5:15 p.m. Tuesday night after being extradited from Pennsylvania.

A 20-year-old man, an 18-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy have also been charged in the shooting.

As seen in surveillance video, the suspects jumped back in the vehicle they arrived in as a fourth individual drove the car away.

Police said that it was the past crimes of an alleged carjacking crew around the Chicago area that helped lead to the first arrest.

More can be found HERE, HERE, and HERE.

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Chicago Fire Department news (more)

Excerpts from abc7chicago.com:

A fourth suspect has been arrested in connection with the shooting death of retired Chicago Fire Lt. Dwain Williams earlier last month.

Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown tweeted Friday that an individual was arrested on a separate warrant in Pennsylvania by the FBI and is currently being held on a $2 million murder warrant. Chicago police are seeking his extradition to the city.

Devin Barron, 20, of Lynwood was charged with one count of first-degree murder, one count of unlawful use of a weapon on a person with a loaded firearm, both felonies, as well as one misdemeanor charge of possession of cannabis more than 10-30 grams, one count of being a fugitive from justice with an out of state warrant, and two counts of issuance of warrant earlier this week in connection with Williams’ death. Barron was taken into custody by the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force Saturday morning around 10 a.m. in Lansing, Ill. He was due in bond court in Chicago Monday.

Dwain Johnson, 18, and a 15-year-old boy who has not been identified by name have also been charged in the shooting.

Family, friends and a community said a final goodbye to Lt. Dwain Williams last weekend.

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Chicago Fire Department news (more)

Excerpts from wgntv.com:

Police charged 20-year-old Devin Barron of Lynwood, Illinois with first degree murder in the death of Dwain Williams. Barron, the third person charged, was arrest on Saturday in Lansing.

Williams was fatally shot during an attempted carjacking on Dec. 3 in Morgan Park after he was approached by four people. One of the people had a gun and fired shots, striking Williams in the abdomen.

Dwain Johnson, 18, of Gary, Indiana and a 15-year-old boy have also been charged in connection with Williams’s death.

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Chicago Fire Department news (more)

Excerpts from Fox32chicago.com:

A second person, Dwain Johnson, 18, was charged as one of the carjacking crew who confronted 65-year-old Dwain Williams, killing him in an exchange of gunfire. Johnson, of Gary, Indiana, was arrested Wednesday afternoon by the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force in suburban Oak Forest, police said. He appeared in court Friday, where he was denied bail on a count each of first-degree murder, attempted vehicular hijacking, unlawful possession of an automatic weapon and unlawful possession of a weapon.

 

On Thursday, a 15-year-old boy was charged as an unarmed accomplice in the shooting.

Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said the suspects were part of a group responsible for a number of other crimes in the area. Two other suspects haven’t been arrested.

In surveillance video of the shooting, two people with guns are seen approaching Williams as he walks towards his Jeep with a bag in his hand. Williams then retreats behind his car as a suspect with a gun rushes towards him. William fires his own gun and a suspect falls to the ground before returning to the car and fleeing. Williams was shot in the abdomen during the exchange of gunfire and died at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

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