Teen charged with murder in Larry Neuman’s death yelled ‘freeze’, grabbed him before shooting: prosecutors

A teenager accused of murdering a former Chicago police officer this month grabbed the ex-cop, shouted “stop” and fired several shots, prosecutors said at a hearing Saturday before an order was issued to hold the boy pending trial.

Marquan Jones, 17, first shot Larry Neuman on June 20 on the front lawn of Neuman’s home in the 4300 block of West Monroe Street, Assistant State’s Attorney Eugene Wood said during a detention hearing. Jones is charged as an adult with first-degree murder after being automatically transferred from juvenile court.

Neuman paid for help mowing the lawn. Wood said Jones and co-defendant Lazarious Watt, 16, approached, put on ski masks and held guns.

The attack was witnessed by a man mowing Neuman’s lawn, prosecutors say.

Jones grabbed Neuman, told him to “freeze” and fired several shots before running toward an alley to escape, Wood told Cook County Deputy Judge Shauna Boliker. Neuman reached for the gun and fired once.

Wood said Neuman’s wife came outside and found him with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and leg. It’s unclear who shot Neuman, but both defendants shot at least once, Wood said.

Police found shell casings and Neuman’s gun at the scene and sent them for ballistics testing, Wood said.

The prosecutor’s office did not establish a motive for the shooting.

Before the charges were filed, Jones turned himself in to police and was cooperative, Wood said. Watt turned himself in to the police on June 16.

According to Wood, police reviewed numerous surveillance videos and identified Jones and Watt in videos near the crime scene. Jones’ public defender argued that the evidence was not strong enough to keep Jones in custody because he had not seen the video to determine whether it was clear enough to positively identify his client.

Jones and Watt were identified in the video by multiple people, including witnesses and people who knew them from the neighborhood and school. One witness was riding a bicycle near the scene before the shooting, greeted Neuman and saw Jones and Watt in an alley. Wood said he heard gunshots shortly afterward.

During the hearing, Jones sat next to his attorney in handcuffs and a brown sweatshirt with “JTDC” on the back, short for “Juvenile Temporary Detention Center,” looking down or turning in his chair as the prosecution and defense made their statements.

Jones has denied the allegations, and his attorney has reiterated that he is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Jones’ attorney argued that the evidence presented by the prosecution was not “clear and convincing” to prove he posed a risk to the community, and pushed for Jones to be released on electronic monitoring.

Boliker ruled that Jones should be detained.

“I don’t think there’s any question that you pose that risk,” Boliker told Jones in court. “I don’t think there’s any combination of conditions that would make the community safe.”

Neuman was honored as a stalwart in his community, and hundreds gathered to pay their final respects Saturday. He was a Vietnam War veteran and the longest-serving bomb technician in the police department until he retired after 28 years in 2010. After retiring from the department, he became an explosives specialist for the Transportation Security Administration, working at O’Hare and Midway airports and eventually becoming a pastor.

Jones’ next hearing is Tuesday.