Posted on 07/09/2010 10:40:52 AM PDT by originalbuckeye
Chicago Supt. Jody Weis said today he "simply cannot understand" how the man charged with gunning down an officer "can have such a total disregard of life."
"The entire department is saddened beyond belief," Weis said hours after Bryant Brewer, 24, was charged. "The entire city should be enraged."
Brewer is accused of grabbing Officer Thor Soderberg's gun and fatally shooting him in the parking lot of a police facility in Englewood Wednesday afternoon. He was shot and wounded by officers and remains at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.
"I simply cannot understand how a person can have such a total disregard of life and for those who keep order on our streets that he could attack, disarm and then shoot and kill a uniformed police officer in broad daylight," Weis said at police headquarters, 3510 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis discusses the murder of Officer Thor Soderberg at a press conference at police headquarters this morning. (Alex Garcia/Tribune)
Weis said Soderberg, 43, was leaving work at the police facility at 61st Street and Racine Avenue to play in a volleyball game. He was an instructor at the police training academy but had been deployed to a special task force aimed at combating youth violence.
"This is the time of the day where officers breathe a sigh of relief. Their tour is over and now they get to be with their families and their friends," Weis said. "However because of the incomprehensible acts of a 24-year-old convicted felon, Officer Soderberg did not make it to that volleyball game. Officer Soderberg was killed by this vicious criminal," Weis said.
The 11-year police veteran was still in uniform in the facility's parking lot when Brewer approached him from behind and reached for the officer's weapon, according to police.
During a struggle, Brewer grabbed Soderberg's handgun and shot the officer, authorities said. Brewer then crossed the street, weapon still in hand, and shot at Richard Mints, a contractor sitting on a nearby porch.
Officers rushed to the scene and shot Brewer during an exchange of gunfire.
Brewer did later "make an admission" to the crime, said Wentworth Area Detective Allen Szudarski.
Weis praised Englewood residents, saying 18 witnesses came forward after the shooting.
Asked about what could be done about security at police parking lots, Weis said police facilities have video surveillance, but added that little could be done to prevent such attacks by people with little regard for human life.
"There's really no level of security you can put up that will prevent a person like that from attacking someone. And unfortunately we lost an officer in this case," he said.
Weis couldn't confirm claims by Brewer's family about the suspect having a history of mental illness. "From everything we've seen so far, we have somebody who was just trying to rob and attack an individual, and that individual had to be a police officer. So I don't know what was going through this guy's head, why he would attack a police officer in broad daylight. That's something, I guess, only he will know," Weis said.
Weis praised the fallen officer, who he said had a passion for teaching police recruits. "He was as good as a police officer can be," Weis said.
A bond hearing for Brewer, of the 5800 block of South Wolcott Avenue, is expected to be held at noon. He is charged with murder, attempted murder and armed robbery.
Now that the Supt. understands such predators are out there I wonder if he thinks people should have a right to defend themselves.
Contrast this “rage” when a cop is killed with the complete lack thereof when a cop murders an innocent civilian.
But don’t worry. There is no link...
Reason will never change the mind of someone who did not use reason to make up his mind in the first place.
This should outrage everyone. What should also outrage everyone is the fact that the shooter has had 21 arrests, one for shooting his own brother back in 2006, and he was still out on the streets.
Are you referring to the recent ‘involuntary manslaughter’ verdict in the Oakland case?
Example of such a “murder”? Im sure you can supply examples of sad mistakes, tragic errors, and poor training, which guys liky you love to exploit,,,, but few “murders”.
My outrage is directed against the fact that there seems to be a consensus amongst those who knew the shooter that he is mentally ill and yet he doesn’t seem to have been adequately treated or been incarcerated for being a danger to himself and others....
During a struggle, Brewer grabbed Soderberg's handgun and shot the office."
Truly awful, but all the officers I see in Nevada and California are using Serpa retention holsters and have been for some time.
Agreed.
What I see is a complete lack of outrage when police are murdered. In Oakland, the community rallied behind the murderer who killed several officers.
In Chicago, there is no outrage in the community over this killing, but there is plenty of outrage over cases of police brutality. There was no outrage in the community when another officer was killed earlier this year and there was no outrage in the community when another Chicago officer was robbed of his gun, badge and wallet moments after his squad crashed while responding to a call. The officer had suffered a broken neck and severe spinal injuries, but one of the fine members of the community went into the car and moved the severely injured officer, making his spinal injuries much worse so he could rob an injured man.
Just as another example. There was plenty of outrage over Rodney King’s beating, but where was the outrage over Reginald Denny’s life altering beating by rioters? Where was the outrage when his attackers were set free?
Maybe that will be the nationwide standard now. I hadn’t heard of this before now. Great idea.
Citing Oakland as “murder” is stupidity. A poorly trained and equipped officer intended to fire a taser and grabbed his similarly shaped pistol. It was a mistake borne of that terrible training. Those are never supposed to be worn in a location that can lead to such a mistake.
Outrageously bad training by BART Police,,yes, Poor supervision by his Sergeant, yes,,,, manslaughter, yes,, massive lawsuit, yes. BUT not the slightest intent to do anything but an honest cop trying to arrest a guy anyone can see needed to be stopped.
Not even the same as someone who *sets out* to commit murder.
This thread was about a local leader who correctly said that the community should be outraged that this decent sounding man was murdered in cold blood. 18 witnesses came out to say what they saw. That can be rare in some neighborhoods,,,, so it sounds like they were outraged.
But it’s weird that such a story instantly brings out knee-jerk cop hatred in some. Nothing in *this story* should have brought such animosities to the front of anyones mind.
It’s a strange little subculture with some conservatives to instantly hate all cops. Nobody should slavishly support cops no matter what, but reflexive dislike is more in line with a leftist WTO protester type.
“Now that the Supt. understands such predators are out there I wonder if he thinks people should have a right to defend themselves.”
Mayor Daley will use this incident to further restrict guns. Since this happened to an armed officer of the law he will argue that if it were a private citizen the gun would have been easier to take away and use. You know the twisted logic they use.
What kind of leftist lying freak are you?
Ya think the Bart cop intentionally murdered this guy in broad day light in front of all his co-workers and dozens of by-standers?
The Bart cop was in the process of performing his job, going after thugs on a train...He made a huge terrible mistake and will serve time in prison...It was not intentional murder, you AH.
Your criminal piece of sh*t in Chicago was a violent known felon, that went after and INTENTIONALLY MURDERED this cop....
You AH....
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