Suspect in police slaying served time for 1990 attempt to shoot officer

On a summer night in 1990, a South Chicago District police officer and his partners were told to patrol a block in their unmarked cars. There was a gang member’s funeral going on nearby, and the officers were told to keep an eye out.

The officer spotted a group of young men and pulled over to talk to them. Suddenly, one of them started running. The officer chased after him, closing in fast, when the man, Lamar Cooper, turned around, screaming obscenities, and fired three rounds at the officer.

He missed.

The officer took cover and called for help. Soon the other officers caught Cooper in the backyard of his home in the 7900 block of South Clyde Avenue. He was arrested and convicted later of attempted murder.

Now, 18 years later, police say the same man fired shots at another Chicago police officer, this time killing him. Cooper, 37, was charged Monday evening with first-degree murder in the weekend slaying of Officer Nathaniel Taylor Jr., who was killed outside the same home where Cooper was arrested in 1990.

The officer whom Cooper shot at almost two decades ago said he didn’t recognize the man’s name until someone called him Monday afternoon and reminded him about the 1990 incident.

“I remember it clearly now,” said the officer, who asked that his name not be used. “That was my first time getting shot at. It was very scary.”

Cooper also was charged with felony weapons and cocaine possession violations in connection with the fatal shooting of Taylor as he tried to serve a search warrant early Sunday at Cooper’s home, said John Gorman, spokesman for the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.

Police say they found narcotics, two guns and a bullet-proof vest inside Cooper’s home, as well as narcotics in his mouth.

Taylor, 39, a 14-year veteran officer, died of multiple gunshot wounds Sunday evening. Funeral arrangements are pending.

Cooper is listed in critical but stable condition at Stroger Hospital with multiple gunshot wounds after police allegedly returned fire during the incident.

Police said Cooper, while still inside the vehicle, opened fire on the officers, striking Taylor. Another officer shot back and hit Cooper.

According to court records, Cooper served about 3 years in prison for the attempted murder. The officer who was shot at said Cooper’s grandmother called him at the police station at the time and thanked him for not killing Cooper. Other officers were not as relieved, he said.

“It was old-school police. When that happened, everybody was a little upset with me because he was still living,” the officer said Monday evening. But the officer said he didn’t want to shoot down a dark alley and accidentally strike someone else.

The officer said he had identified himself, as police say Taylor did, to Cooper and told him he was an officer.

“He was real quick to shoot at me, and he knew who I was,” the officer said.

The officer said he was saddened by Taylor’s death.

“It’s very upsetting … What can you do? What can you do?” he asked. “You never know in one of those circumstances. You hate for that to happen.”

On Monday, Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis visited the Taylor family home and presented a check for $50,000 from the Hundred Club of Cook County, a charitable group that assists the surviving spouses and dependents of law enforcement officers.

“It’s tough to take,” Weis said. “We’re dealing with people who have no respect for life. It’s unfortunate.”

Taylor is the third Chicago officer killed since July, and the second who was on duty.

Tribune reporters Gary Marx, Noreen Ahmed-Ullah and Robert Mitchum contributed to this report.


mwalberg@tribune.com

 arozas@tribune.com