Richard Morris - Cook County State's Attorney

were driving in their squad car, heading west on School Street. They were on tactical
duty, and were just finishing their 12-to-8 a.m. shift and were returning to the station.
(R.131-132; 1181-1182) They were in uniform. They turned left onto Paulina, headed
south toward Belmont Avenue. Directly in front of them was a 1995 Chevy Impala SS.
(R.131-133; 1182-1183) It was very clean and shiny. It appeared "brand new." (R. 147-
148; 1183) This car pulled to the right and stopped at 3250 North Paulina, to the right of
the officers' car. (R. 133, 1183) Two men got out of the car. (R. 133;1184) At trial Officer
Lotts identified defendant Richard Morris as the driver and codefendant Tywon Knight as
the passenger. (R. 1184-1185)
After getting out of the car the two defendants walked across the street, crossing
in front of the police car "so close that they could have almost touched" it. (R. 133; 1186)
The two men made eye contact with the officers and – in the words of Officer Lotts –
"They made direct eye contact with both my partner and I and they just gave us a look
that I have never seen before. . . to me I characterized it as one of surprise and shock,
and fear when they saw us." (R. 134-135, 147;1186) They continued walking past in front
of the police car until they reached the curb. At that point they were at the mouth of an
alley, and there they began to run, eastbound into the alley. (R. 135; 1186)
Officers Lopresti and Lotts pulled their car into the mouth of the alley, got out
and started running after the two defendants. (R. 138; 1187) Officer Lotts yelled at them
to stop, but they did not. The two men climbed over a six-foot chain-link fence instead,
landing on the other side in a yard of a building facing School Street. (R. 138-139, 1188)
Officer Lopresti ran back to the west, toward their car, and Officer Lotts ran eastward until
he saw the two defendants crouching in a gangway between two buildings. (R. 139-140;
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