A fugitive wanted on murder and robbery charges is in a standoff with police in a Chicago restaurant just blocks from the Democratic National Convention.
Justin Zimmerman was barricaded alone inside the Seafood Junction restaurant Wednesday, according to Justin Smith, chief deputy of the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office
Chicago SWAT teams arrived on the scene just half a mile from the DNC at the United Center around 4 a.m.
Zimmerman escaped from a Hernando, Mississippi, courthouse on June 14, Smith said.
He changed from a jumpsuit into civilian clothing then exited through a door that wasn’t being guarded by officers, CBS News reported.
At the time of his escape, Zimmerman was being held on attempted murder and armed robbery charges related to an attack on an elderly man who hired him to do work on his house, the outlet added.
He was also awaiting extradition to Houston, Texas, where he is charged with murder in connection with the fatal shooting of a woman last fall.
It was not immediately clear how authorities tracked Zimmerman down in Chicago, and there was no suggestion that he was connected to the DNC.
Authorities want to bring Zimmerman back to Mississippi to learn more about his escape, Smith said.
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