Last July, Chicago Police Officer Michael Bailey was fatally shot during an apparent botched robbery attempt outside his South Side home. Bailey, 62, was set to retire in just weeks and was cleaning his new car after an overnight shift guarding former Mayor Richard M. Daley's house when the slaying occurred.
On Tuesday, police announced charges in the case.
Antwon Carter, 24, of the 16800 block of South Broadway in Lockport was charged with one count of first degree murder, one count of murder (forcible felony) and one count of attempted armed robbery, according to police News Affairs. He was also charged with aggravated vehicular carjacking in another incident that occurred about a week before Bailey's death.
The Chicago Tribune reports that Carter was on parole for aggravated battery to another police officer when he allegedly killed Bailey. Two months after the July 2010 murder, Bailey was arrested for unrelated carjacking and weapons charges, the paper reports. He has been in prison ever since.
"The officers involved and the detectives involved for the hard work that they put in on this case has finally come to the charge in this case," Fraternal Order of Police spokesman Pat Camden told NBC Chicago. "Now it moves to the next phase, where a police killer can be convicted."
Bailey was one of three Chicago Police officers fatally shot in just one month last year. Officer Thor Soderberg was shot and killed with his own weapon outside of a police station, allegedly by convicted felon Bryant Brewer. Thomas Wortham, a young police officer and Iraq war veteran, was also killed in a robbery attempt outside of his home. Three men have been charged in the case.
Carter is due in court at noon Wednesday.