Man charged in connection with 2 Chicago officers killed by train

Dec. 19 (UPI) -- A man being chased by two Chicago police officers who were killed by a train earlier this week was charged with two felony weapons charges Wednesday.

Edward Brown, 24, of Chicago, was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and reckless discharge of a firearm, the Chicago Police Department posted on Twitter.

On Monday night, Officers Eduardo Marmolejo, 36, and Conrad Gary, 31, responded to reports of shots fired on the South Side. They saw a suspect, crossed the viaduct and headed south as they were hit by a southbound Metra Electric train, according to video from one of the officers' body cameras.

The officers were aware of a northbound train in the area during the chase, but they didn't know a southbound train was approaching, according to Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson in a report by Chicago Tribune. The southbound commuter train was traveling at 60 to 70 mph, CNN reported.

Two other officers, responding to the area, stopped Brown and asked him if he was carrying anything illegal. He said "Yes, I have a gun on me," according to police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

The officers confiscated a Kel-Tec handgun from Brown's sweater pocket and Brown acknowledged firing the weapon on the tracks, Guglielmi said.

Brown, who told police he found the gun in an alley a few blocks away, was arrested and taken to a police station.

When they arrived at the station, the arresting officers learned Marmolejo and Gary had been fatally struck by the train, Guglielmi said.

It was the first time in almost 30 years that two Chicago police officers were killed in the line of duty during the same incident.