A Chicago police officer was denied bail on Saturday and charged with murder in connection to the shooting death of the 29-year-old mother of his child following an argument.
As reported by The Chicago Tribute, Pierre Tyler, 29, was charged on Saturday, Dec. 11, with first-degree murder in the death of 29-year-old Andris B. Wofford, who died of a gunshot wound to the head, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office and the Police Department. The shooting took place between Dec. 7 at 4:30 p.m. and Dec. 9 at 9:49 a.m, according to Assistant State's Attorney Craig Engebretson.
Tyler and Wofford Argued About Another Woman Before Shooting
Tyler and Wofford, who were in a dating relationship, share a 9-month-old child. Tyler also had another child with a different woman around the same time, Engebretson said. On Dec. 5, Wofford discovered that Tyler had a "pending child support case" with the mother of the other child and shortly after that, she mistakenly believed that Tyler had married the woman, which led to an argument.
On Dec. 8, one of several surveillance cameras at her home showed Tyler walking into her place and a neighbor heard the two arguing about 7 p.m. and then, at about 8:30 p.m. or 9 p.m., heard a "loud muffled bang," prosecutors said. There was no more yelling. Video showed the front door opening a little, then "abruptly shutting," the prosecutor said. Wofford's body was later discovered just inside that door.
As seen on footage, Tyler was seen exiting through the back at 9:02 p.m. with what seemed to be a gun in a holster, and a keychain that Wofford had been previously using. He was seen leaving in his car.
Tyler Claimed He Was Meeting a Confidential Informant
Tyler, who was first interviewed as a witness, admitted that he went to Wofford's home between 4 and 9 p.m. and told detectives he had left a gun there, but investigators did not find the weapon. He then told them that he had left the apartment that night alone in his personal car to meet a confidential informant on the West Side. However, his partners said they do not meet "CIs" alone in their personal cars and they were not with him that night, Engebretson said.
Tyler was arrested after police viewed video footage and obtained a search warrant to search his gun range bag, where they found expended shell casings, one of which matched the one found next to Wofford's body. Tyler has been relieved of police powers, according to a police spokesman. He will be held in "protective custody" while at Cook County Jail and is due back in court on Monday.
