Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Chicago police say an intruder who died during a struggle inside a West Side apartment had just broken into the dwelling and was attempting to burglarize it when he encountered the resident living there, authorities said.
The intruder climbed through a back window of the apartment above Gigi’s Food Mart in the 5000 block of West Chicago Avenue around 10 p.m. Wednesday. He was confronted by the resident, a 39-year-old man, and the two started fighting in the living room, according to Chicago police.
The intruder — identified as Derek Carson, 51, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office — used a Taser on the resident and bit him, but suffered some sort of injury during the scuffle and died at the scene, police said. The resident was treated for his injuries at West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park and later released.
An autopsy determined that Carson, of the 1000 block of North Lawler Avenue, died from asphyxia brought on by compression of his neck during an altercation, and his death was ruled a homicide, the medical examiner’s office stated.
Prior to the release of the autopsy results, Officer Jessica Alvarez, a Chicago police spokeswoman, said Area North detectives had already classified the case as a home invasion and wouldn’t be pursuing criminal charges against the resident, citing self-defense.
The resident couldn’t be reached for comment Thursday afternoon.