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Bail Denied For 20-Year Chicago Veteran's Killer

Antwon Carter (left) and Officer Michael Bailey (right)

CHICAGO – Bail was denied today for a man accused of gunning down Chicago police officer Michael Bailey as the 20-year veteran was polishing his brand new Buick, a retirement present to himself.

Antwon Carter, 24, appeared in bond court dressed in a red jail jumpsuit and white sneakers, his hands behind his back. He is charged with murder and attempted armed robbery in the shooting last July in front of Bailey’s home.

Prosecutors entered a “proffer” during the hearing detailing the charges:

As Bailey was cleaning his 2011 Buick Regal near his home, Carter approached and tried to carjack him at gunpoint.

Bailey pulled his service weapon and identified himself as a Chicago police officer. There was an exchange of gunfire and Bailey was shot three times: once in the shoulder, once in the chest and once in the rear flank.

As Carter ran away, he continued to point his gun at Bailey as the officer lay in the street in front of his car.

Carter was identified in a photo array and line-up. He also was overheard bragging about the killing and made statements indicating his involvement to detectives.

The charges came after a long, frustrating year for detectives who chased scores of leads in the case, only to see them fizzle.

“While this case took long to solve. . .we never gave up,” Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez said in a news conference in lobby of the Cook County Criminal Courthouse following the bond hearing.

She said it was frustrating that Carter was on parole at the time — after being convicted a year before for aggravated battery to a peace officer. “But obviously those are the laws in regards to people being released on parole. It’s unfortunate,” she said.

Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said the charges aren’t closure, but a step toward it. “Closure comes when he gets convicted, he goes away and we never see him again,” he said. "And we can point to him and say, ‘This is what happens when you get involved in gun violence regarding a police officer.’ "

Bailey’s widow, Pamela, told reporters that when she first saw Carter’s picture, she thought he looked like a little kid.

“I feel happy. I feel sad since I lost my husband. And I feel sad that this guy, it’s a young guy that would take somebody’s life like that,” she said. “But I’m finally getting some closure, so I feel pretty good.”

Their daughter, Jada Bailey, said Carter’s a “bad apple” and noted that she’s the same age as Carter. “He doesn’t speak for a large majority of my peers,” she said.

During the yearlong investigation, detectives ran down bogus information from confidential informants and sorted through details from witnesses who changed their stories during interviews. They executed search warrants, seeking phone records and saliva samples from potential suspects.

At one point they were told Bailey’s killer was fleeing town; another informant led them to search the South Side home of a Gangster Disciple, who, according to the informant, had discussed the slaying and even had the murder weapon.