COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — Off-duty Chicago Police Officer David Blake was gunned down by his girlfriend's brother in a "cold-blooded execution" in 2010, prosecutors claimed Tuesday as opening statements began in the brother's trial.
Bernard Williams, 25, is charged with murder, burglary, armed robbery and carjacking in the Nov. 22, 2010, shooting that killed Blake about 6:30 p.m. in the 2900 block of West Seipp Street in the Ashburn neighborhood.
Williams faced a jury for the first time Tuesday morning at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse, 2650 S. California Ave.
In his opening statement, Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Patrick Morley said Williams was motivated by "senseless greed" when he fired six bullets into Blake's head inside the man's SUV before stealing Blake's keys in the hopes of pilfering the SWAT officer's extensive gun collection.
Williams "was obsessed with this ill-conceived plan that he had to get his hands on those guns," Morley said, adding that Williams planned to sell the guns on the street because "he didn't want to be broke anymore."
Officers secured Blake's home before Williams could reach the guns, prosecutors said.
Assistant Cook County Public Defender Dylan Barrett said in his own opening statement that there are no fingerprints or DNA evidence linking Williams to the scene — and that the gun used to kill Blake was never recovered.
Barrett argued that Chicago police officers, in a rush to charge someone for killing one of their own, falsely placed the blame on Williams, who had met Blake through his sister.
"They could not find a suspect ... [so] they developed a suspect," Barrett said.
Several Chicago police officers testified Tuesday as prosecutors played 911 tapes and began to piece together a narrative for jurors. Blake was a 15-year Police Department veteran assigned to the city's SWAT team.
"He was turned into just another statistic," Morley said. "This was a cold-blooded execution. Over what? Senseless greed."
Williams has been held in Cook County Jail without bail since December 2010. Jury selection in his trial wrapped Monday evening. Prosecutors expect the trial to last several days and possibly conclude early next week.
Cook County Judge Lawrence Edward Flood is overseeing the case.
