Suspect hospitalized in critical condition

By Angela Rozas | Chicago Tribune reporter
12:24 AM CDT, July 4, 2008

A 45-year-old woman was charged Thursday evening with murder for the fatal shooting of Chicago Police Officer Richard Francis in a struggle near his North Side police station.

Robin Johnson was charged with one count of murder of a police officer, one count of attempted murder of a police officer, and one count of disarming an officer, according to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.

Johnson, whose last known address was in the 1700 block of North Mason Avenue, remained in critical condition at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center on Thursday after being charged. She was shot several times by officers coming to the aid of Francis. Johnson turned 45 on Friday.

Francis, 60, was shot early Wednesday in a struggle with Johnson, who had been harassing a CTA bus passenger less than a block from the Belmont District police station at Belmont and Western Avenues, police said.

Authorities have reviewed videotape from the bus, which a law enforcement source said showed Johnson bothering a passenger who had just gotten off the bus and chattering as she followed the passenger around.

The passenger got back on the bus and complained to the driver and the two of them flagged down Francis, who was working the overnight shift, in his patrol car.

When Francis got out of his car and tried to usher the woman away, she put up a struggle and grabbed his gun, shooting him in the head, police said.

An autopsy showed Francis died from multiple gunshot wounds, the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. Police were trying to determine if Johnson, shot Francis more than once or if he was also hit by fire from responding officers, said department spokeswoman Monique Bond.

Francis had called for backup as he was summoned to the scene.

Johnson was known to Belmont District officers. She sometimes slept in the station, behaved erratically and sometimes talked incoherently.

Francis was a well-liked 27-year veteran of the department, just a few years shy of retirement. Married with two stepdaughters, colleagues remembered him as a hard-working police officer who loved his family, motorcycles and his job.

Visitation will be held from noon to 9 p.m. Sunday in Cooney Funeral Home, 3918 W. Irving Park Rd., Chicago. Services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday in St. Monica Catholic Church, 5136 N. Nottingham Ave., Chicago.

Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-chicago-cop-killedjul04,0,7325239.story