A South Side man already wanted by federal authorities was charged Wednesday with shooting a Chicago police officer in the Gold Coast neighborhood after burglarizing a luxury goods store.
Deshawn Lucas, 33, of the South Shore neighborhood, faces charges of attempted murder, aggravated battery, burglary, unlawful use of a weapon and being a fugitive from justice. He was scheduled to make his first court appearance Wednesday.
Lucas was charged after a 55-year-old officer was shot in the leg early Tuesday following a smash-and-grab burglary at the Prada store at 33 E. Oak St., according to the Chicago Police Department. Several suspects fled the store as officers arrived at the scene, and police said they soon caught up with Lucas near the intersection of Walton and State streets.
It was there, police allege, that Lucas fired several shots at officers, striking one in the leg. Police returned fire, striking Lucas. Both he and the wounded officer were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for treatment.
A federal indictment against Lucas was returned in April 2019, charging him with felony gun possession after he was arrested by CPD officers three months earlier. Convicted of burglary in 2008, Lucas is barred from having a gun.
On Jan. 29, 2019, CPD officers pulled over Lucas’ vehicle after he didn’t use a turn signal while driving in the South Chicago neighborhood, according to his arrest report. From their squad car, officers saw him “reach toward the passenger seat floor board of the vehicle and then immediately exit the vehicle.”
Lucas darted through a nearby backyard and across 83rd Street, forcing drivers to swerve to avoid striking him and the officer giving chase, according to police records. Once Lucas was in custody, officers searched the vehicle and found a loaded pistol.
Federal court records show Lucas pleaded guilty in 2020 to the one count brought against him in U.S. District Court. However, a warrant was issued for his arrest after he failed to appear for his sentencing hearing in August 2020.