Race may have played role in off-duty cop’s murder
By Kevin Beese Chronicle Media — March 28, 2019
William Bradley (at podium), commander of Chicago’s 6th Police District where slain off-duty officer John Rivera worked, said Rivera “was out there every day trying to make the city safer and better.” (Photo by Kevin Beese/Chronicle Media)
Chicago police are investigating the murder of one their peers as a possible hate crime.
Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said the shooter in the March 23 killing of off-duty police Officer John Rivera had been in an altercation with a group of Hispanic men at the Rock ’n’ Roll McDonald’s in downtown Chicago.
“In an act of cowardice, (Menelik) Jackson went to get a gun to settle this petty dispute, which resulted in him murdering the first Hispanic man he came in contact with,” Johnson said of the alleged shooter.
Jackson, 24, a resident of the 1900 block of East 170th Place, South Holland, faces one count of first-degree murder, three counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of resisting arrest.
Police said Rivera, 23, and a friend were sitting in a car outside a pizza place in the 700 block of North Clark Street at 2 a.m. March 23 when the shooting occurred. Rivera’s friend, also 23, was also shot, but police said he is in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery.
A party bus had stopped at the McDonald’s, and Jackson and another man with him got into an altercation with the group of Hispanic men who had been on the bus, which led to Jackson being punched in the face, police said.
One of the men allegedly with Jackson at the time of the shooting was Jovan Battle, police said. Battle, 32, a resident of the 2100 block of South Albany in Chicago, also faces one count of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted first-degree murder.
Both Jackson and Battle were scheduled to appear in bond court March 25.
Police said they know who the man is who was with Jackson inside the McDonald’s, but have yet to apprehend him.
Jackson had applied to be a Chicago police officer, Johnson said at a March 25 press conference, but his time as an applicant ended when he was charged and convicted of a home invasion with a gun in his possession,
“The most egregious part about him,” Johnson said, “is that he actually once thought he had what it took to wear a Chicago police star.
“Today, he stands accused of committing the ultimate disgrace to everything this star stands for.”
Chicago police said Jackson has two convictions for domestic violence and an attempted residential burglary conviction in addition to the armed home invasion.
Johnson said Battle has an 18-page rap sheet and “is no stranger to (the Chicago Police Department) with convictions for violent crimes, including assault and battery, and felony possession of narcotics.
Johnson’s son Daniel worked with Rivera in the 6th Police District.
“I can tell you firsthand that those officers over there — the ones in Officer Rivera’s class — they’re suffering,” the police superintendent said. “They lost a friend and Chicago lost a young guardian who wanted nothing else but to dedicate his life to making the city that he grew up in safer.”
William Bradley, commander of the 6th Police District said Rivera “was not only a good police officer but a good person.”
Bradley said he had seen Rivera earlier that day handling a homicide case.
“He was out there every day trying to make the city safer and better,” Bradley said, “and we’re going to work to keep those officers going in honor of his memory.”
Jackson and Battle were arrested at 3:25 a.m. March 23 after police received information about Jackson’s license plate number and a license-plate reader gave police information that put the vehicle near Jackson’s apartment, Johnson said.
