2 men charged with 1st-degree murder in death of Chicago police officer

2 men charged with murder in Chicago cop’s death

CHICAGO — Police say two men have been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of a plainclothes Chicago police officer as he investigated reports of gunfire.

Chief of Detectives Thomas Byrne said Tuesday that 20-year-old Shawn Gaston and 21-year-old Kevin Walker face charges of first-degree murder, first-degree murder of a peace officer and attempted first-degree murder. It was not clear if either had an attorney.

Byrne said Alejandro “Alex” Valadez and his partner were interviewing a citizen about gunfire on the South Side early Monday when a vehicle driven by Walker pulled up. Gaston, his passenger, allegedly fired the fatal gunshots.

The 27-year-old Valadez was the third Chicago police officer to die on duty in the past year.