Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy apologized to the many drivers who were stuck for several hours along Lake Shore Drive Sunday in a standoff with a murder suspect.
Joseph Andrew Felton, Jr., 44, faces a number of felony charges resulting from the chase and standoff, including attempted first-degree murder and aggravated fleeing police.
Felton's vehicle was spotted by authorities in south suburban Harvey just after noon on Sunday. An ensuing chase ended about 20 miles later with a crash on Lake Shore Drive but Felton kept police at bay for nearly nine hours.
Felton was denied bond in court Tuesday, and it was revealed that Felton's car exceeded 100 mph during the chase. Police also opened fire on Felton's car after they said he rammed a car full of people.
While McCarthy is sorry for the ordeal the other drivers went through during the nine-hour standoff, he also believes his officers did everything right.
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"We took every step to cautiously apprehend a very violent murderer," McCarthy said. "These are very dangerous situations, and they take time. At the end of the day, our responsibility is to protect life, including the accused."
Police say during the standoff, Felton told officers he had a large number of guns. He was eventually removed from his vehicle after police utilized a flash bang distraction device and moved in.
"It was difficult because he had tinted windows. You couldn't see what was really going on inside, so as a result, when he was telling us he had guns, we had to believe him," McCarthy said.
McCarthy commended his officers for ending the standoff without any loss of life.
"People that we inconvenienced, I apologize for that, but at the end of the day we did what we're supposed to do, and we did it professionally," McCarthy said.
McCarthy says Felton somehow injured himself during the standoff.
Felton is wanted in Georgia to face charges in the Saturday murder of his wife, Sheray Felton, but it's not clear when he may be extradited.
