As fellow officers, family and community members gathered Monday at the funeral for slain Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca, Superintendent Larry Snelling confirmed that officers had recovered Huesca’s service weapon and promised to “get justice” his family. NBC 5 Investigates’ Bennett Haeberle reports.
As fellow officers, family and community members gathered Monday at the funeral for slain Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca, Superintendent Larry Snelling confirmed that officers had recovered Huesca’s service weapon and promised to “get justice” his family.
“Our Detective Division, our officers are working, they have not stopped working since this happened," he told reporters Monday afternoon. And there have been some major, major breaks. And other leads, what I can tell you is the officer's weapon was recovered, which I know that was reported. And that was done through some great, great work by our detectives, and by other members of Chicago Police Department, we're going to continue to work diligently until we take this individual into custody."
Huesca, a sixth-year officer, was returning home from his shift on April 21 when he was fatally shot near his home in Gage Park.
A police report shows Huesca sustained a gunshot wound to the face. His Toyota SUV was said to be stolen but was later recovered. A police report indicated officers were investigating the incident as a potential carjacking.
On Friday, a judge signed an arrest warrant and felony complaint of first-degree murder against 22-year old Xavier Tate Jr., who court documents allege used a 40-caliber handgun to shoot Huesca.
Court records show Tate was due in court last week on an unrelated trespassing charge but did not show. A person who answered a number associated with him said they had no spoken to Tate and hung up on a reporter.
Over the weekend, several law enforcement agencies - including the FBI, ATF and CrimeStoppers and Chicago Police Memorial Foundation - put forth a combined $100,000 reward leading to an arrest and conviction.
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Additional court records show that officers responded Friday afternoon to a house near 108th and Hale in connection to Huesca’s murder. Court records confirm that officers observed a male in that house dispose of a gun over the fence.
That person was detained and is facing a weapons-related charge.
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A Chicago police spokesman has not responded to repeated inquiries asking if the weapon recovered was connected to the case.
