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Posted: Friday, 14 August 2009 6:37AM
Man who shot intruder released without being charged
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CHICAGO (STNG) -- A man who was questioned after fatally shooting another man who allegedly held a knife to his throat during an attempted robbery Wednesday morning in the South Side’s Englewood community was released without being charged.
Maurice Willis, 36, of the 1600 block of W. 61st St., was found in a trashcan at 1244 W. 61st St. and was pronounced dead on the scene at 10:55 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.
Police responded to the shooting about 9:30 a.m. and found Willis dead with multiple gunshot wounds. A Thursday autopsy confirmed Willis died of multiple gunshot wounds, and the death was ruled a homicide, the medical examiner’s office said.
A police report indicated that while on routine patrol 45-year-old citizen John Grant flagged down an officer and told the officer a man sitting on the porch in the 1200 block of W. 61st St. just killed a man at his home.
The officer approached the 59-year-old man on the porch and the man allegedly said, “Yep, I shot and killed a man in the basement,” according to police.
The man and the officer entered the man’s basement apartment, where the suspect showed the officer the weapon he allegedly used -- a Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver -- and Willis, who had multiple gunshot wounds to his face and chest and was sticking halfway out of a city garbage can.
The man told police the incident began when he was entering his basement apartment and Willis ran up behind him and held a knife to his throat.
The man told police he said words to the effect of, “OK, don’t hurt me, I got money here in the mattress,” according to police. He then went to the mattress he produced the revolver and shot Willis, police said.
Police said he apparently panicked and tried to hide the body in the bin, which he planned on rolling back out into the alley because he apparently didn’t understand that he has the right to protect himself in his own home.
Police said early Thursday the case was reclassified as self-defense and the man was released without being charged.
A source said Willis was recently arrested for aggravated battery.
Wentworth Area detectives are investigating.
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Copyright 2009 STNG Wire, The Chicago Sun-Times. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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