Chicago police officers identify suspect, announce charges in murder of police officer

Authorities in Chicago announced that a suspect has been arrested and released a mugshot of the convicted felon charged in connection with the killing of a Chicago police officer.

During a news conference Wednesday, Chicago Police Commissioner Larry Snelling said that 23-year-old Darion C. McMillian is facing multiple charges, including one count of first-degree murder in the death of 26-year-old Chicago Police Officer Enrique Martinez.

“This offender is a convicted felon who was placed on electronic monitoring out of Will County. It goes without saying that this person should not have been on our streets with a fully automatic weapon, a weapon that killed Officer Martinez, as well as another person who… “was in the car with the perpetrator,” Snelling said .

On Monday around 8 p.m., Martinez and his partner responded to a report of a three-person vehicle blocking traffic in the East Chatham neighborhood.

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Before additional officers arrived to assist with the stop, Martinez and his partner spoke with the driver and observed McMillian reaching for a bag on the floor of the vehicle, police described.

When McMillian was asked to stop, he allegedly pulled out a handgun and fired, fatally wounding Martinez.

According to police, the driver of the vehicle was also struck and killed by gunfire. The identity of the driver is not yet known.

McMillian then allegedly pushed the driver's body out of the car, got into the driver's seat and attempted to flee. When an officer tried to intervene and pull him from the vehicle, McMillian backed up, dragging the officer, who fired his weapon once into the ground, police said.

According to police, while trying to escape, McMillian crashed into a parked car and fled on foot to a nearby apartment where a woman was.

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Larry Snelling, Chicago Police Commissioner (WFLD)

McMillian reportedly found a knife and removed an electronic monitoring device from his ankle.

Police said the woman was uninjured and the officer who was dragged was in good condition.

McMillian was later caught and arrested. According to police, a second person was also arrested but was later released without charge.

Snelling praised the officers who arrested McMillian “amidst a chaotic scene,” saying they did so “in honor of Officer Martinez's sacrifice and to ensure that no one else in our community has to suffer the same heartache that the Officer Martinez's family is going through.”

“I want this to resonate with everyone. Know the risks. Out on these streets. Officer Martinez and all of our officers are running toward this danger to protect everyone in the city,” Snelling said. “We must all be outraged by the violent perpetrators who create endless cycles of trauma in our communities.

“We must be outraged by the proliferation of weapons that kill our residents, our children and our first responders. Anger doesn’t describe the feeling I’m feeling right now.”

Snelling was joined by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx to announce the charges in Martinez's murder.

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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and a crime scene in the city. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images, FOX 32 Chicago)

“While today’s charges will not bring officer Enrique Martinez back. We hope these charges will bring a sense of justice. Justice for the family. And everyone who knew and loved Officer Enrique Martinez,” Johnson said.

McMillian had a criminal background and was indicted by a Will County grand jury in January 2023 on charges of illegal possession of cannabis and illegal possession of cannabis with intent to deliver.

Then, last month, a Will County grand jury indicted McMillian for cheating on a drug test, after which he was released on electronic monitoring, FOX 32 reported.

“The police cannot do this alone. We need the community to get involved. We need everyone to start getting involved. “We need people to start looking at the responsibility of those who commit these acts and repeat acts,” said Snelling.

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McMillian's next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse.

He is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, first-degree murder of a police officer, residential burglary, unlawful use of a weapon (machine gun), and unlawful use of a weapon in the shooting of a police officer.