Crime
Chicago police officer Enrique Martinez shot and killed in the line of duty
The suspected shooter attempted to flee on foot but was later apprehended.
A Chicago police officer and another individual were shot and killed on the city’s South Side on Monday evening, according to the Chicago Police Department (CPD).
The shooting occurred in the East Chatham neighborhood near East 80th Street and South Ingleside Avenue around 8 p.m.
CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling reported that officers initiated a stop on a vehicle occupied by three individuals.
As officers approached, gunfire erupted from inside the car, striking the 26-year-old Enrique Martinez multiple times. A second person inside the vehicle was also fatally shot.
Snelling confirmed that an officer discharged their weapon during the confrontation. Detectives are now analyzing the officers’ firearms as part of the ongoing investigation.
The suspected shooter attempted to flee on foot but was later apprehended.
A third person, seated in the rear of the vehicle, was taken into custody at the scene.
Fellow officers transported the injured officer to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The officer had served with CPD for nearly three years.
At the scene, police recovered two firearms: one was in possession of the person found deceased in the vehicle, and the second, a semi-automatic weapon with an extended magazine, was found nearby.
Several streets surrounding the scene were cordoned off as the investigation continued into the evening.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability responded to the incident, and the Mobile Command Post was also on-site.
A significant police presence was observed outside the University of Chicago Medical Center, located on East 57th Street and South Cottage Grove Avenue, as officers mourned their colleague’s passing.
Crime
Security guard Yahaira Melendez charged with murder after shooting inside IHOP restaurant in Center City Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA, PA — A security guard has been arrested and charged with murder following a fatal shooting at a Center City IHOP over the weekend that left a 43-year-old man dead.
The incident occurred shortly after 11 p.m. on Saturday at the IHOP located in the 1300 block of Walnut Street, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.
When officers arrived, they discovered a man suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. The victim, who police say was unhoused, was transported to Jefferson Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.
Investigators report that the victim had been causing a disturbance inside the restaurant prior to the shooting. As security personnel escorted him outside, he allegedly turned and spat on one of the guards.
That guard, identified as 38-year-old Yahaira Melendez, allegedly responded by drawing her firearm and shooting the victim once in the head.
Police say preliminary findings indicate the victim was not armed at the time of the incident.
Melendez, a mother of three, was taken into custody and has been charged with murder and related offenses.
In a statement Melendez’s family expressed shock and disbelief over the situation, writing in part:
“We are shocked and devastated by the tragic events that occurred at the IHOP while she was working security. We know she would never harm anyone unless she felt she had no other choice to protect herself or others.”
The shooting has left nearby workers and residents shaken.
“Escalation — where was the escalation?” asked Karr Anderson, who works next door to the restaurant. “Security guards need to know how to withhold, how to show restraint.”
Philadelphia Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including whether proper security protocols were followed and what led to the use of deadly force.
Authorities have not yet released the identity of the deceased pending family notification.