Richard Bolling, Chicago Cop, Convicted Of Aggravated DUI In 13-Year-Old's Death (VIDEO)

A Cook County jury on Wednesday convicted Chicago police officer Richard Bolling of aggravated DUI, reckless homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal accident in connection with the collision that killed a 13-year-old boy.

Trenton Booker was killed on May 22, 2009, while riding his bicycle near 81st and Ashland, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Booker's family wept when the jury's conviction was announced after more than nine hours of deliberations over five days of testimony.

"We feel vindicated. We feel like all these years that we've been through ... We got our justice for Trenton," Terrence Booker, the late teen's father, told NBC Chicago.

Bolling, a 17-year veteran of the force, admitted that he drank alcohol before getting behind the wheel of his Dodge Charger that night, but he told the jury that he was neither intoxicated nor did he immediately realize that he had hit the boy, according to CBS Chicago.

Police arrested Bolling a few blocks away from the collision, where he was seen driving the wrong way down a one-way street, the Chicago Tribune reports. Bolling also had an open beer in the front console of his car. A video camera in the squad car recorded an officer telling Bolling, "I'm gonna try to help you out as much as possible."

Prosecutors accused Bolling of receiving preferential treatment from police responding to the scene because he was not given a Breathalyzer test until over four hours after the collision, Fox Chicago reports. His blood alcohol level registered at .079, barely under the .08 legal limit.

Bolling was booked into Cook County Jail, where he will remain in protective custody until his sentencing, which is slated for next month. He has been suspended by the police force and the department, according to the Sun-Times, is moving to fire him. Bolling could face up to 15 years in prison, but will be eligible for probation.

Comments

[zombywulf]

02:50 AM on 01/23/2012

He'll get probation and most likely promoted to some desk job till it all blows over.

[Dmurphyixi86]

05:57 PM on 01/20/2012

Well well Mr. Officer. They waited five hours to test his B.A.L That is standard right? Left the poor kid dead on the road. Shame on you. If it were an average citizen they would have been tested as soon as the Police chased him down after leaving the seen of the murder. I bet his ass will be self checked into protective custody for the 6 months he receives in the county jail. a civilian would receive 30 to life but it is ok to kill a child and then run away and with the help of his fellow police officers being given five hours for his B.A.L to come down to the legal limit. After thinking about this a bit more I would bet he only gets probation. The police that waited five hours to administer the B.A.L testing should be charge with tampering with evidence and terminated as well. When you smell of alcohol and there has been serious or death they have the right to tie you down and take your blood. Damn being a cop is great.

[luckyfreeman69]

04:53 PM on 01/20/2012

Actually if the officer was under the influence of alcohol with his firearm in his possesion that makes it even a worse charge.. The charge should be manslaughter...anyways because of the alcohol factor.. Nothing I hate worse than a hot headed lunatic under the influence of drugs or alcohol with a firearm.. especially privelidged law enforcement.. Manslaughter is one of the correct charges..

[luckyfreeman69]

04:48 PM on 01/20/2012

Some politically connected members of law enforcement are even on drugs and under the influence of booze while in uniform right inside the city police deparments they work for... I have personnally had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting a couple of these hot headed very beligerant psyco's .. while going through the motions of my every 5 year walk to the police department to apply for my FID card