Jan 13, 2009 1:48 pm US/Central
Chicago Teen Killed In Shootout After Robbery
HAMMOND, Ind. (Sun-Times Media Wire) ―
Two Chicago men face criminal charges in connection with a robbery attempt that turned into a shootout which left a Chicago teenager dead in northwest Indiana.
Ramon Tywonne Banks, 19, and Donnell Banton, 20, have been charged with attempted robbery and resisting law enforcement for allegedly trying to rob a man in the parking lot of a Hammond tavern, then leading police on a chase that lasted for several miles.
The pair abandoned a 17-year-old accomplice, who was fatally shot in the chest by the man they allegedly tried to mug.
The robbery victim, a 38-year-old Gary man, had just pulled into the parking lot of McTavern's at 7443 Indianapolis Blvd. around 11:30 p.m. Saturday when Banks and the 17-year-old walked up and demanded the man's wallet and fur coat.
The man said "wait a minute" as the 17-year-old -- identified by the Lake County Coroner's office as Kenneth Denson of 648 E. 131st St. in Chicago -- counted to 10, said Hammond Police Chief Brian Miller.
The man opened a rear door to his Cadillac Escalade, withdrew a hidden handgun, and fired at Denson. Banks said he ran to where Denson fell, took a gun from the teen's hand, then ran and leaped over a snowbank.
Banks then came back over the wall, firing at the man, who returned the shots before jumping back in the car and driving to another part of the parking lot, police said.
Hammond Fire Department medical crews treated Denson at the scene, but he died before he could be taken to a hospital. An autopsy showed he died of a gunshot wound to the chest and the death was ruled a homocide, coroner's office spokesman Jeff Wells said.
The targeted victim was waiting in the car with a female friend, and still was holding the gun when police arrived. The man had a permit for the pistol and gave it to a police officer when asked.
"He has been very cooperative,"Miller said. The man has not been charged.
Banton, who was waiting in a car outside The Big Wheel Restaurant across the street, picked up Banks and they sped away, leaving Denson behind. Police spotted Banton's car and gave chase into East Chicago, where the car struck a wall in the 2800 block of Indianapolis Boulevard.
Court records state Banks told police he, Banton and Denson had been driving around, smoking marijuana and drinking, then stopped at gas station. Denson saw the Escalade across the street and said he recognized the driver and wanted his money. Police do not believe Denson knew the man.
"They were driving along specifically with the idea of robbing someone. It wasn't personal against the man," Miller said. "It didn't go very well for them at all."
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2009. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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