The*Empress
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A cab driver was killed Thursday night. Pretty horrific story: Stops to pick someone up. Somehow the almost-passenger/assailant starts arguing with him (without having even gotten in the cab). Pulls him out of the cab, knocks him out with the cab door, then jumps in his cab and runs him over, reverses back over the body, then runs him over again, then drives off in the cab, crashes two blocks later, jumps out, and disappears into the night.
When I reread this now, it seems a little callous that I go so easily from a man's senseless murder to blab on about insignificant, meaningless trivia. What can I say? That's the way life is. It just keeps on, keeping on, no matter how many people get bludgeoned right outside our front doors. And it's been several days now on my end, I'm quite a bit calmer about it now than I was, altho I realize you are likely hearing about it for the first time. But I think asterisked-comment No. 1* makes it clear that were the subject to come up again, I feel there is no punishment great enough for the man who did this. Can't even imagine someone being run over outside my house. Not sure I'd ever sleep again. Wow, so sad about that cab driver. poor guy didn't deserve to die like that --good thing you were there to see it. hopefully there will be justice. That was too bad about the guy. good news-he turned himself in at the police station yesterday with his lawyer, and witnesses identified him as the 'purp'. hope you can get some sleep now. did you see his fare? it was $87.00! holy cow! no justification at all!
HEALTH OFFICIAL CHARGED IN CABBY KILLING
By Gary Barlow
Staff writer
Hearts Foundation founder and former president Michael L. Jackson was denied bail Feb. 7 in Cook County Circuit Court after being charged with first-degree murder and aggravated vehicular hijacking in the slaying of a Chicago cab driver.
Prosecutors said witnesses told police an argument between Jackson and cab driver Haroon Paryani escalated near Jackson's apartment in the 500 block of West Briar. At one point, after the argument became physical, the witnesses said Paryani fell to the street and Jackson got into his cab and ran over the cab driver.
Cook County assistant State's Attorney Michelle Patsy said one of the witnesses told police she ran out to help Paryani and "cradled the victim's head in her hands," then noticed the cab's rear reverse lights come on. Getting out of the way, she and other witnesses said Jackson backed up, running over Paryani again, then threw the cab into forward gear and ran over him once more.
Witnesses said Jackson then drove the cab down Briar to Broadway, hitting several parked cars on the way. He crashed the cab into another car on Broadway, was confronted by an occupant of that car, then ran away before hailing another cab, which picked him up. :Ohno:
Paryani, 61, was pronounced dead at 1:16 a.m. at Advocate Illinois Medical Center.
Jackson, accompanied by attorney Jon Erickson, turned himself in at Area 3 police headquarters the afternoon of Feb. 4. Erickson and his law partner, Michael Oppenheimer, said Jackson was cooperating with police, although police said Jackson did not make any statement to them while he was detained at Area 3. Charges were pressed the afternoon of Feb. 6 and Jackson was taken to the Cook County Circuit Court building at 26th and Sacramento the morning of Feb. 7 for the bond hearing.
Erickson and Oppenheimer argued that Jackson deserved bond because of his reputation and work in the community, citing his long record with philanthropic groups, including the Hearts Foundation, and his standing as director of communications and policy for the STD/HIV/AIDS division of the Chicago Department of Public Health.
Erickson and Oppenheimer also told Judge Raymond Myles that three community leaders-gay activist Michael Bauer, AIDS Legal Council of Chicago executive director Ann Fisher and the Rev. Stan Sloan, CEO of Chicago House-stood ready to testify on behalf of Jackson's character.
But Myles rejected their argument, denying bail and ordering Jackson held until the next hearing in the case Feb. 24.
"The court has heard facts that are brutal, facts that are heinous," Myles said.
Jackson's parents, attorneys and several friends who attended the hearing expressed disappointment after the hearing, but Erickson and Oppenheimer said Jackson had acted in self-defense and would be found innocent.
"We will hear more in the coming months about how the victim was the aggressor," Oppenheimer said.
Erickson and Oppenheimer said Jackson was attacked by Paryani and suffered injuries that led him to seek medical treatment later that night.
Jackson, Erickson said, "behaved in a manner befitting someone who feared for his own safety."
Erickson said he and Oppenheimer were not "aware of" any recent drug use on Jackson's part, as other news reports have indicated. Jackson reportedly had been in a drug treatment program for some time before the incident.
Paryani was buried at Rosehill Cemetery Feb. 5. The father of four children, he had immigrated to the United States from Pakistan in 1971.
On Feb. 5 CDPH officials announced that Commissioner John Wilhelm was taking steps to terminate Jackson's employment with the department. He had worked there 13 months before Paryani's slaying.
When I reread this now, it seems a little callous that I go so easily from a man's senseless murder to blab on about insignificant, meaningless trivia. What can I say? That's the way life is. It just keeps on, keeping on, no matter how many people get bludgeoned right outside our front doors. And it's been several days now on my end, I'm quite a bit calmer about it now than I was, altho I realize you are likely hearing about it for the first time. But I think asterisked-comment No. 1* makes it clear that were the subject to come up again, I feel there is no punishment great enough for the man who did this. Can't even imagine someone being run over outside my house. Not sure I'd ever sleep again. Wow, so sad about that cab driver. poor guy didn't deserve to die like that --good thing you were there to see it. hopefully there will be justice. That was too bad about the guy. good news-he turned himself in at the police station yesterday with his lawyer, and witnesses identified him as the 'purp'. hope you can get some sleep now. did you see his fare? it was $87.00! holy cow! no justification at all!
HEALTH OFFICIAL CHARGED IN CABBY KILLING
By Gary Barlow
Staff writer
Hearts Foundation founder and former president Michael L. Jackson was denied bail Feb. 7 in Cook County Circuit Court after being charged with first-degree murder and aggravated vehicular hijacking in the slaying of a Chicago cab driver.
Prosecutors said witnesses told police an argument between Jackson and cab driver Haroon Paryani escalated near Jackson's apartment in the 500 block of West Briar. At one point, after the argument became physical, the witnesses said Paryani fell to the street and Jackson got into his cab and ran over the cab driver.
Cook County assistant State's Attorney Michelle Patsy said one of the witnesses told police she ran out to help Paryani and "cradled the victim's head in her hands," then noticed the cab's rear reverse lights come on. Getting out of the way, she and other witnesses said Jackson backed up, running over Paryani again, then threw the cab into forward gear and ran over him once more.
Witnesses said Jackson then drove the cab down Briar to Broadway, hitting several parked cars on the way. He crashed the cab into another car on Broadway, was confronted by an occupant of that car, then ran away before hailing another cab, which picked him up. :Ohno:
Paryani, 61, was pronounced dead at 1:16 a.m. at Advocate Illinois Medical Center.
Jackson, accompanied by attorney Jon Erickson, turned himself in at Area 3 police headquarters the afternoon of Feb. 4. Erickson and his law partner, Michael Oppenheimer, said Jackson was cooperating with police, although police said Jackson did not make any statement to them while he was detained at Area 3. Charges were pressed the afternoon of Feb. 6 and Jackson was taken to the Cook County Circuit Court building at 26th and Sacramento the morning of Feb. 7 for the bond hearing.
Erickson and Oppenheimer argued that Jackson deserved bond because of his reputation and work in the community, citing his long record with philanthropic groups, including the Hearts Foundation, and his standing as director of communications and policy for the STD/HIV/AIDS division of the Chicago Department of Public Health.
Erickson and Oppenheimer also told Judge Raymond Myles that three community leaders-gay activist Michael Bauer, AIDS Legal Council of Chicago executive director Ann Fisher and the Rev. Stan Sloan, CEO of Chicago House-stood ready to testify on behalf of Jackson's character.
But Myles rejected their argument, denying bail and ordering Jackson held until the next hearing in the case Feb. 24.
"The court has heard facts that are brutal, facts that are heinous," Myles said.
Jackson's parents, attorneys and several friends who attended the hearing expressed disappointment after the hearing, but Erickson and Oppenheimer said Jackson had acted in self-defense and would be found innocent.
"We will hear more in the coming months about how the victim was the aggressor," Oppenheimer said.
Erickson and Oppenheimer said Jackson was attacked by Paryani and suffered injuries that led him to seek medical treatment later that night.
Jackson, Erickson said, "behaved in a manner befitting someone who feared for his own safety."
Erickson said he and Oppenheimer were not "aware of" any recent drug use on Jackson's part, as other news reports have indicated. Jackson reportedly had been in a drug treatment program for some time before the incident.
Paryani was buried at Rosehill Cemetery Feb. 5. The father of four children, he had immigrated to the United States from Pakistan in 1971.
On Feb. 5 CDPH officials announced that Commissioner John Wilhelm was taking steps to terminate Jackson's employment with the department. He had worked there 13 months before Paryani's slaying.
