2 Men Convicted In Killing of Chicago Officer

Two gang members were convicted Wednesday in the murder of a Chicago Police officer who had responded to a call of shots fired in the West Englewood neighborhood in 2009.

The convictions by separate Cook County juries came more than two years after a third defendant was found guilty in the murder of Officer Alejandro "Alex" Valadez .

Prosecutors said Valadez, a tactical officer who had been with the department for less than four years, was fatally shot in the head and leg as two of the three alleged gang members opened fire from a car. They were seeking revenge for a shooting a short time earlier, prosecutors said.

One of the two juries had begun deliberations Tuesday, been sequestered overnight and reached its verdict Wednesday morning, convicting Kevin Walker, 25, the alleged driver, of first-degree murder as well as the attempted murder of Valadez's police partner, Thomas Vargas.

The second jury deliberated for about six hours Wednesday before finding Christopher Harris, 24, guilty of murder and attempted murder. Prosecutors identified Harris as one of the gunmen.

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