Chicago Criminal Lawyer Blog
File this one under Crime in the 21st Century. A teen live-streamed himself smoking pot with a gun in his lap after eluding police during a traffic stop. Antonio Butler has been charged with five counts of aggravated vehicular hijacking, armed robbery with a firearm, possession of a stolen vehicle, and more. Prosecutors also hinted that the crime spree was still under investigation, and that the teen may face additional charges. Since Butler is 18 years of age, he will be tried as an adult.
The Spree
The Audi was stolen on March 25. It was then reported in an armed robbery, but Butler was able to get away. Later that day, the Audi was reported in two gas station robberies, a carjacking, and another armed robbery. Police eventually caught up with the vehicle and found Butler asleep inside. They tapped on the window to wake him up and then broke through the window to get him out. Butler hit the gas and drove the Audi into police vehicles, before successfully fleeing the scene. He then posted a video to Instagram showing him smoking marijuana with a gun in his lap while bragging about losing the police.
Butler eventually figured out he would need to lose the Audi. At a gas station, he pulled up alongside a judge’s vehicle and drove the judge’s car off. Butler also fled the scene of a traffic stop during which he plowed through police cruisers. He has been denied bail.
What Will Happen to the Defendant?
Criminal defense attorneys tend to have clients who do not want to get caught. What happens when you have a client who actually taunts police on his way to capture? The answer is: Nothing good. Here, you have a defendant who wanted to be a star for a select group of people who thought leading the police on a chase and committing a string of crimes would be a cool thing to do. A person who thinks crime is cool and is performing for others who also think crime is cool is not going to be an ideal candidate for an aggressive defense. He has left his criminal defense attorney with very little room to maneuver. He has also placed the police in a position where they do not have to perform any forensics to tie Butler to the crimes. Butler could have been fingered by video surveillance, but judges toss evidence that does not conclusively show the defendant. Gas station security cameras do not make good witnesses. Neither do actual witnesses for that matter. Had the defendant even a shred of self-preservation, he would have forced police to take fingerprints from the vehicle or search for contact DNA. But then he could not take credit for losing police multiple times.
Talk to a Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney
If you are facing serious criminal charges in the Chicago area, call David Freidberg today at (312) 560-7100 and allow us to begin building your defense immediately.
