The suspect charged with murder and arson in the death of a Chicago firefighter was squatting in the apartment building where the fire broke out, authorities said.
A detention hearing for the suspect, 27-year-old Sheaves Slate, was scheduled on Saturday morning. However, police said Slate remained hospitalized, and his hearing was continued to Monday.
At the courthouse, members of the Chicago Fire Department showed support for the family of Chicago firefighter Michael Altman, who died following the fire in Rogers Park earlier this week.
“We support our brothers and sisters, and we always will,” said Patrick Cleary with Chicago Fire Fighters Union Local 2. “Unfortunately, we’ve had a lot of tragedies the last couple years.”
Prosecutors said Slate faces two counts of murder and two counts of arson. He was arrested on Wednesday, two days following the fire.
“…We just want to make sure its the right guy and he gets what he has coming,” Cleary said, in part.
According to prosecutors, Slate was squatting in the apartment building near North Shore and Ravenswood Avenues. Prosecutors said, on Monday, he got into an argument with two tenants, then went down to the basement where he set a mattress on fire.
Altman was battling the fire when he fell through a burning floor and was critically injured. Prosecutors said he suffered burns to 90% of his body and later died at the hospital.
“We lost a hero in Chicago, a 32-year-old fireman who every day put on that uniform to protect us, and he died essentially trying to keep people safe,” Illinois State Comptroller Susana Mendoza said.
NBC Chicago learned Slate’s criminal record includes retail theft, meth possession and drug paraphernalia. A warrant was issued for his arrest in January when he failed to appear in court this year.
“We need to make sure that our judges are also doing the correct thing, which is locking up these dangerous individuals, no longer make this a revolving door with no accountability, let’s… this individual accountable,” Mendoza said.
Slate’s case was continued to Monday at 11:30 a.m.
from NBC Chicago https://ift.tt/jcg9rDB
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