COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — A Bronzeville man is facing reckless-homicide charges after he reportedly crashed a stolen car while fleeing from police Tuesday, killing one of his passengers.
Dominic Gipson, 19, was driving a red Chevy Equinox about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday when he ran a stop sign near 48th and Vincennes, and narrowly avoided hitting an off-duty Chicago Police sergeant's car, Assistant State's Attorney Lesley Gool said during a bond hearing Thursday.
As the Chevy blew past, prosecutors said, the sergeant noticed a 17-year-old passenger waving a gun from the front seat.
The sergeant called 911 and began to follow the Chevy, which ran two stop signs and zigzagged through alleys as it headed westbound, Gool said.
A marked squad car picked up the chase near 43rd Street, at which point Gipson turned and began speeding north on State Street, prosecutors said. Police clocked him going at least 20 mph over the speed limit, according to Gool.
Gipson cut into an alley and eventually slammed into a black Infiniti near 42nd Street, prosecutors said. The Infiniti's 29-year-old driver and her 6-year-old son were taken to Stroger Hospital with minor injuries and are listed in good condition.
But the collision sent the Chevy flying into a building and nearby fence, Gool said. The impact killed Gipson's backseat passenger, 18-year-old Amari Catchings, who was pronounced dead on the scene.
Police recovered a .38 caliber semiautomatic gun with one live bullet in the chamber inside the Chevy, Gool said. Officers later discovered Gipson was driving 53 mph when he struck the Infiniti, she added.
The off-duty sergeant was able to identify Gipson as the driver of the red Chevy, which was reported stolen near 60th and Prairie streets sometime Sunday or Monday, prosecutors said.
Gipson, of the 4200 block of South Michigan Avenue, admitted he knew the car was stolen and bought it for $25, according to Gool. He also confessed to "smoking cannabis," she said.
Gipson is charged with reckless homicide, aggravated fleeing and unlawful transport of a stolen vehicle. According to court testimony, Gipson was still at Stroger Hospital on Thursday afternoon being treated for injuries sustained in the crash. He did not appear in court. No mugshot was available.
Cook County Judge James Brown on Thursday ordered Gipson held in lieu of $2 million bail.
The off-duty sergeant also identified Gipson's front-seat passenger, a 17-year-old male, as the person who waved a gun.
The minor is charged with unlawful use of a weapon and criminal trespass to a vehicle, according to police. No additional details about his case were immediately available.
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