New Details Emerge In Chicago Cop's Slaying, No Bail For 18-Year-Old

CHICAGO — A Cook County judge ordered an 18-year-old man accused of gunning down a Chicago police officer to be held without bail in the shooting death of 32-year-old Officer Andres Vasquez-Lasso.

Steven Montano remains hospitalized in critical condition with a gunshot wound he sustained from an exchange of gunfire with police. He was charged Thursday with first-degree murder, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, and interference with reporting domestic violence assault.

Vasquez-Lasso was responding to a domestic call late Wednesday afternoon in the 5200 block of South Spaulding in the Chicago’s Gage Park neighborhood, from a woman who said she was being chased by a man with a gun.

The gunman, later identified as Montano, fled officers, who pursued him at close range, when “without warning or notice” shot Vasquez-Lasso multiple times and the officer returned fire, CPD Supt. David Brown said at a news conference earlier this week.

Montano did not appear in court Friday because he is hospitalized from a gunshot would he sustained in an exchange of gunfire with the police officer, so a no-bond mitt was entered.

Montano, who is 18, was in a dating relationship with a 37-year-old woman, and were living together in the 5200 block of South Spaulding Avenue. During the late afternoon hours of March 1, the prosecutor said Montano and his girlfriend were arguing about their living arrangement. Montano charged with open-palm hands toward his girlfriend, who stepped out of his way to avoid being struck, according to court documents.

When Montano threatened to get his gun, the girlfriend escaped the residence through the side door opening on to 53rd Street, the prosecutor said. She called 911 and reported that her boyfriend had a gun. Montano followed his girlfriend and grabbed the phone from her hand and hung up while she spoke to 911 dispatchers, the prosecutor said.

The prosecutor said the two continued to argue and went back inside the house. Uniformed Chicago police officers, including Vasquez-Lasso, arrived on the scene. Uniformed police officers arrived at the scene shortly thereafter. The first two officers approached the front door of the home and heard a noise in the gangway. Montano jumped out of a window into the alley, where he came upon two neighbors standing by a nearby garage, court documents said.

Montano is said to have dropped the gun in the alley in front of the neighbors. He picked up the gun and magazine, inserted the magazine into the pistol, where the prosecutor said he asked his neighbors if he could stash the gun in their garage. When the neighbors said no, Montano entered the garage they were in, then fled in into the back yard of the connected residence, according to the court documents. The prosecutor said Montano climbed up onto a car in the backyard and hopped the fence, into the next yard.

The first two officers who arrived at the residence had by this time relocated through the alley and into the same yard as Montano, where the officers said they saw him hopping the fence. The officers radioed that Montano had jumped the fence and was back on Spaulding.

Montano fled east across Spaulding before turning north on Spaulding past Sawyer Elementary School, the court document said. Officer Vasquez-Lasso arrived on the scene to assist the first responding officers. The police officer was in full uniform and in a marked Chicago Police Department SUV, driven by Vasquez-Lasso’s partner. As Vasquez-Lasso and his partner were driving north on Spaulding, the prosecutor said they saw Montano running down Spaulding.

Vasquez-Lasso exited the SUV and chased Montano on foot. As Montano went through a gate entered the school yard area of Sawyer Elementary School, the prosecutor said Vasquez-Lasso continued to chase him. Throughout the pursuit, Vasquez-Lasso gave Montano verbal commands to stop running. Montano turned and went through the gate leading into a fenced yard with a playground, court documents said.

When Vasquez-Lasso was only a few feet away from Montano, the prosecutor said Montano looked back over his shoulder in the police officer’s direction while racking the slide on his pistol. Montano is then said to have pointed the handgun at Vasquez-Lasso, when the police officer and Montano’s both fired their guns. The prosecutor said Montano fired his gun five times, striking the Vasquez-Lasso a total of three times, in the head, arm and leg. Vasquez-Lasso was able to get off two shots, striking Montano in the mouth area.

During the exchange of gunfire, residents, including multiple children, were on the playground, who took cover under a slide. The prosecutor said Montano turning toward the police officer and raising his gun, and shooting Vasquez-Lasso, is all captured on the officer’s body-worn camera. Vasquez-Lasso collapsed immediately after being shot. The prosecutor said Montano stumbled a few feet away into the school parking lot before falling to the ground. Montano’s gun also fell to the ground beside him, the court document said.

By this time, Vasquez-Lasso’s partner got out of the police vehicle, and approached Montano. The prosecutor said Montano stood up and refused to comply with commands. Montano was observed walking away from police, despite being shot in the face. The 18-year-old was subsequently tased and handcuffed. Officers on the scene recovered the .45 caliber handgun Montano allegedly used to shoot Vasquez-Lasso on the ground next to him.

Other officers began emergency life-saving measures on the gravely wounded officer. Vasquez-Lasso was loaded into a police vehicle and eventually transferred to an ambulance that took him to Mt. Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced. The Cook County Medical Examiner attributed the cause of death to multiple gunshot wounds and ruled the officer’s death a homicide. Vasquez-Lasso sustained a gunshot wound in the left temple above his left eye, which exited out the back of his head. The officer was also shot through his left forearm and through his left calf.

Police recovered five spent .45 caliber shell casings, the police officer’s 9 mm semiautomatic duty weapon and two spent 9mm shell casings.

The court document noted that Montano had “no publishable background.” News reports said that Montano was arrested and charged when he ran away from a traffic stop, and two guns were found in a car he was riding in. The car had apparently matched the description of one connected to a shooting.

The charge was later dismissed by prosecutors and Montano was offered community service as an alternative to traditional prosecution, according to a statement from a spokesperson for Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. The statement said the facts of the case did not support a gun charge, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Assistant public defenders told Judge Mary Marubio they haven’t had the opportunity to talk to Montano because he remains hospitalized.