From the Chicago Dispatcher, July 23, 2008
Cabdriver Robbed, Suspect Caught
Police arrest Otis Davis, 23, in connection with July 10 cabdriver robbery.
By: Jonathan Bullington
In the early morning of Thursday, July 10, a Chicago cabdriver was robbed at a cabstand on the 2400 block of North Lincoln Avenue. The suspect, identified by Chicago police as 23-year-old Otis Davis of the 1200 block of South Springfield Avenue, was arrested that day and charged with one count of aggravated robbery.
The cabdriver, who wished to be referred to only by his nickname “Kami” was posted at the cabstand near the corner of Lincoln, Fullerton and Halsted talking with friends on his cell phone with his windows down when he said Davis approached his cab asking for money. Kami said Davis had his hand in his pants, leading him to believe he had a weapon. As such, Kami said he gave Davis exactly $70 (his bank money).
At that point, Kami said Davis asked for his car keys. When Kami asked why he needed them, he said Davis started cursing at him. After giving him his keys, Kami said Davis threw them on the backseat floor of his cab before fleeing on foot.
Kami said he watched Davis head north on Halsted and saw another man, sitting on a bench at the time, get up and follow Davis. After calling the police, Kami said he retrieved his keys and decided to pursue Davis and the other man who followed him. Being unable to locate either man while on Halsted, Kami went west on Lill Street to Lincoln Avenue, where he went south. Once on Lincoln, Kami said he saw Davis and the other man only now the two had exchanged shirts.
As the two saw Kami's car, he said they split in opposite directions. Kami decided to follow Davis, who ran north on Lincoln to Lill Street, where he went east. Once on Lill, Kami said he could see Davis hiding behind parked cars. All the while, Kami said he maintained contact with police, giving them his location as he pursued Davis. While on Lill Street, Kami said Davis again put his hand in his pants and started running toward his cab. Still thinking Davis had a weapon, Kami threw his cab in reverse and, in the process, lost Davis.
As he circled back around the block, Kami said a pedestrian approached his cab and told him the man he was chasing went south on Sheffield. Kami said he found Davis on Sheffield only to lose him again.
Eventually, Kami found the police, who in turn were able to locate Davis in an alley near Altgeld Avenue. Police were unable to locate the other man Kami said he saw with Davis.
Once at the police station on Belmont and Western, Kami said he was questioned by detectives, who asked him why he gave Davis money when there was no weapon found?
“I said ‘I'm not here for $70. I don't want this to happen to anyone else,’” Kami said. “I didn't want to take the chance with my life.”
Kami said a court date for his case was scheduled for July 17, but he will be out of the country for the next two-to-three months, so his case has been rescheduled for November.
Location 2400 block N. Lincoln Ave
Crime date July 10, 2008
Case number HP443579
Crime time 5:45 a.m.
Primary type Robbery
Secondary type Robbery: Aggravated
Place Street
Beat 1933
Domestic No
Added to EveryBlock on July 19, 2008.
Convicted Felon Davis T. Otis will appear at Branch 42 (Belmont/Western), on August 1, 9:00 a.m. for Preliminary Hearing on Aggravated Robbery charge. His Bail was set $160,000.
Case number: 08-1-124299-01
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Replying to:
Location 2400 block N. Lincoln Ave
Crime date July 10, 2008
Case number HP443579
Crime time 5:45 a.m.
Primary type Robbery
Secondary type Robbery: Aggravated
Place Street
Beat 1933
Domestic No
Added to EveryBlock on July 19, 2008.
Glad to see this is being taken seriously. However, its not due to Wiedersberg's law. It is due to the fact this guy already has amassed a terrible record in his short life. I hope they throw the book at him. We should be out there( court house) with signs. I will mention this to Wolf Weiss and George Lutfallah.
A robbery case is hard to solve. It was bad luck for this convicted young felon got nailed this time.
What shall we do about this one?
Driver safety should be one of the primary foci of the UTCC. When the effort was made to nail the perpetrator in the Shen case, it made a point that the Chicago police and State's Attorney's offices actually responded to and that they may respond to in the future.
But the UTCC cannot spread itself too thin. With a need for membership, I'm not sure they are going to continue to keep that focus on driver safety. There are so many cases to pursue, so many issues to be pursuing. Maybe they will just leave this one to the police and State's Attorney's office?
We can only hope not. But look here, Clueless. We aren't on the UTCC Steering Committee. We aren't members of its Board of Directors. We aren't officers. We can only make these observations on the Dispatcher Forum and CHALLENGE the UTCC to keep driver safety at the TOP of the list.
We can only hope that Mr. Secretary Enger and Mr. Vice Chairman Kim will nail a robber and not worry as much about George Lutfallah. George isn't going to change his stripes no matter what is said on this "Forum". Nor is the robber going to be a better man. The energy of the UTCC is better spent putting the robber where he belongs and in working to insure driver safety than it is in recounting the chicanery of last February or March.
Whatever may have gone on between the parties back then needs to be buried just by the way. If there were insults, they need to be forgotten and forgiven by each and all. If there was a try to achieve unity then, there should be a stronger effort to DO IT NOW. The cab industry needs it MORE THAN EVER. And I assure you all it's going to need it even the more when gas prices start to rise again as surely they will in the near future.
Give all of this some thought my comrades - and my enemies.
Donald Nathan
At least the felon is going to remain in jail for now, and his mom is not going to bail ($160,000) him out this time.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Replying to:
Glad to see this is being taken seriously. However, its not due to Wiedersberg's law. It is due to the fact this guy already has amassed a terrible record in his short life. I hope they throw the book at him. We should be out there( court house) with signs. I will mention this to Wolf Weiss and George Lutfallah.
This is good news. Wonder what the bail might have been with a somewhat clean record.....
D. Foulks' Bail was $40,000, Abbate's Bail is $70,000, and Gniadek's Bail is $50,000. Their moms bailed them out.
I believe that the mother of Davis (23) has given up on him a long time ago.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Replying to:
This is good news. Wonder what the bail might have been with a somewhat clean record.....
Is that a "d" or an M? Is the felony arrest I'm mentioning terrorism related? Would a terrorism related felony be a forceful one?
