A person was sentenced to 8½ years in jail Thursday for hijacking an Uber Eats driver close to Goose Island in December 2024, a case that prosecutors mentioned was resolved via the coordinated efforts of police within the air and on the bottom.
David Brantley, 19, pleaded responsible to aggravated vehicular hijacking and obtained the prolonged sentence from Prepare dinner County Choose Thomas Byrne. The choose sentenced Brantley’s confederate, Tayvon Andrews, additionally 19, to 9 years final month.
The case stemmed from a December 8, 2024, carjacking that focused a 25-year-old supply driver working for Uber Eats. Prosecutors mentioned the motive force was sitting in his 2016 Toyota sedan round 8:45 p.m. within the 800 block of West Blackhawk Road when the 2 males approached.
Andrews allegedly displayed a gun whereas ordering the motive force out of the automobile. Prosecutors mentioned the sufferer complied, and the boys drove off with Brantley behind the wheel and Andrews within the passenger seat.
Chicago police rapidly positioned the stolen Toyota from the air utilizing a CPD helicopter, and Illinois State Police troopers joined the response on the bottom as officers tracked the automobile throughout town.
The pursuit ended about an hour later, round 9:45 p.m., when the Toyota crashed close to 87th Road and State Road, based on a Chicago police report. State troopers arrested Andrews and Brantley on the scene and turned them over to CPD.
On the time of the hijacking, Brantley had an lively stolen motorized vehicle case pending in juvenile court docket and was in warrant standing for failing to adjust to court docket situations, prosecutors mentioned on the time. The result of the juvenile case just isn’t accessible as a result of these information are shielded from public evaluation.
The case highlighted a legislation enforcement strategy that has turn out to be more and more widespread in Chicago. Within the wake of expensive civil lawsuits tied to accidents and deaths from police automobile pursuits, CPD leaders have discouraged officers from partaking in high-speed chases. As an alternative, the division’s helicopter unit often tracks fleeing automobiles from the air, whereas floor models place themselves close by.
Illinois State Police, who function below totally different pursuit tips and have extra specialised coaching, typically take a extra lively position on the bottom. In different instances, CPD models shadow suspects on parallel streets till a automobile stops or crashes with out partaking in a direct pursuit.
