Chicago man gets 35 years for shooting officer in face at Lincoln Park strip mall
Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Shooting Chicago Police Officer
A man who shot a Chicago police officer in the face in Lincoln Park and then yelled, “You will die!” pleaded guilty Monday to attempted murder and was sentenced to 35 years in prison, court records show.
Events Leading to the Shooting
The events leading up to the October 2021 shooting began earlier that day when a 21-year-old woman picked McPherson up at his Elgin home to run errands in downtown Chicago, according to officials. During the drive, the woman spoke by phone with the father of her child, allegedly causing McPherson to become angry and take her phone away.
Prosecutors said McPherson then pulled out a handgun, pressed it against the woman’s side, told her where to drive, and threatened to kill her while continuing to hold the weapon against her body.
Confrontation at the Strip Mall
During an initial court hearing, prosecutors said McPherson forced the woman to exit the Kennedy Expressway at North Avenue by grabbing the steering wheel. She eventually stopped at the strip mall in the 1000 block of West North Avenue, where a police squad car was stationed because of recent mob-style shoplifting incidents at an Ulta Beauty store.
Shooting Incident
As store employees sought help from officers, McPherson became increasingly aggressive. He then pulled a handgun from beneath his legs and pointed it at the first officer, who could see directly down the barrel of the weapon. The officer grabbed the gun and pushed it away from his face, but not before getting shot in the cheek, causing a through-and-through wound.
“You will die,” McPherson allegedly told the wounded officer, according to body-worn camera footage.
Past Criminal History
At the time of the shooting, McPherson was on probation in Kane County for felony aggravated fleeing and eluding and felony possession of a controlled substance. As a juvenile, he was adjudicated delinquent for aggravated battery causing great bodily harm in 2012 and for armed robbery in both 2013 and 2015.
Sentencing
Judge Michael Hood sentenced McPherson to 35 years in prison, of which he must serve 85%. This marks the conclusion of a violent and dangerous encounter that could have had even more tragic consequences.
