Partner on force testifies in trial of man accused of killing CPD Officer Andrés Mauricio Vásquez Lasso
The partner and friend of Chicago police Officer Andrés Mauricio Vásquez Lasso testified Tuesday in the trial of Steven Montano, the man accused of Vásquez Lasso's murder.
Montano, now 21, is charged with multiple counts of murder and other felonies, accused of fatally shooting Vásquez Lasso during a chase on March 1, 2023.
Other officers who knew Vásquez Lasso and responded the day of the murder also took the stand Tuesday.
As each officer who testified, prosecutors had the chance to show their body-worn cameras, revealing firsthand, up-close video of what happened that day.
Officer Vásquez Lasso's family either stepped out for some of those videos, while others stayed and held tissues inside the courtroom.
First to take the stand was Miguel Enciso, Officer Vásquez Lasso's friend and former partner on the force. The pair were assisting officers during a domestic violence call in the Southwest Side's Gage Park neighborhood during a domestic violence call that day in 2023, when Officer Vásquez Lasso was shot and killed in the line of duty.
Enciso testified that they caught up to the defendant, Montano, was 18 at the time and was trying to flee the scene of the domestic dispute he was having with his then 37-year-old girlfriend.
Enciso said he heard gunshots from both Officer Vásquez Lasso's and Montano's weapons simultaneously. Montano was shot in the jaw.
Officer Enciso said he ran over to Montano, rather than his partner, because he thought Montano still had a gun. Enciso said he recovered the gun.
At one point, prosecutors handed the weapon to Enciso in court. Enciso re-identified the weapon as Montano's.
He testified that Montano shouted: "Just kill me! Just kill me!" and "Why didn't you kill me?" while calling for his girlfriend.
When Officer Enciso told the defendant to be quiet, using expletives, he said Montano responded in turn, "You [do the same]. That's why I killed your [expletive] boy."
Montano was in court Wednesday, as were some of his supporters.
On Tuesday, the defense said the jury would hear from Montano at some point. He has yet to take the stand.
