Second Man Charged in Shooting of Chicago Police Officers in Back of the Yards
CHICAGO — More than seven years after two Chicago police officers were shot while working in Back of the Yards, a second man was charged with the crime on Saturday.
Edgar Barron, now 25 years old, was only 17 when he allegedly shot plainclothes officers Leo Augle and Colin Ryan on May 2, 2017. On Saturday afternoon, Judge Deidre Dyer ordered Barron detained pending trial on two counts of attempted murder. Court records indicate that this is the first time Barron has been charged with a crime in Cook County.
“Great news!” Ald. Ray Lopez (15th) tweeted Sunday. “I’m glad the judge detained him so he can’t run back to Mexico again.”
Augle and Ryan were patrolling the 1500 block of West 43rd Street following an earlier shooting when someone fired shots at their undercover van from another vehicle around 9:10 p.m. The officers, suspecting gang members seeking retribution for the previous shooting, were shot by someone who rolled up next to them in a minivan, prosecutors said.
Officials reported that a single gunman used a semi-automatic .223 rifle to shoot at the officers, hitting Augle in the back and Ryan in his arm and hip. The officers returned fire, but no other injuries were reported. More than 25 bullet holes were found in the officers’ vehicle, with the gunman’s minivan and rifle later recovered in Bridgeport.
The driver of the minivan, Angel Gomez, was arrested about a week after the shooting and pleaded guilty to aggravated discharge of a firearm in November 2021. He received a five-year sentence, which was satisfied by his pre-trial detention. Gomez allegedly told investigators that he believed his passenger was shooting at rival gang members, not police officers.
During Gomez’s initial court appearance, prosecutors mentioned that gang members identified Gomez and the gunman as the individuals responsible for shooting at police officers.
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